Emotionless
by xArcherx
Summary: She was inhumanly beautiful. "I will grant all of your wishes." Her smile was as mysterious as she was. "But in return, you will have to be ready to sacrifice your own lives – if destiny calls for it." SxS FxK
1. Prologue

**Hello! This is xArcherx here and this is my first fanfic based on the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. I really don't know how long this story is going to be but it's a multi-chaptered fanfic for sure. I hope you like it.**

**Summary: "I will grant all of your wishes." Her smile was as mysterious as she was. "But in return, you will have to be ready to sacrifice your own lives – if destiny calls for it." SxS FxK**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TRC.**

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**Emotionless**

**Prologue**

The dark shrine was intimidating. Its tall, thick pillars were painted a deep brown while the long room itself was black. The whole place emitted a gloomy aura that was very uninviting. It was as though a heavy cloud was always surrounding it – even when the sun shined upon its surroundings. No one ever walked past it alone; no one even dared to walk past it.

However, its darkness often fascinated people with innocent minds – people who are yet to learn what fear is; people who are often deemed as immature – children. Children of five to ten stared at the dark tall tower with wide eyes whenever their parents hurried them past it. Teenagers were less fascinated.

More than the shrine's appearance, it was its power that intimidated people. Rumors were natural and when people talked about the shrine, they spoke in low whispers. Some said that if a person were to enter it, they would never come out in their right minds. Some said that it attracted people who had dark secrets. Most practical people just called it a deserted shrine.

But the most important rumor was that the shrine could grant wishes. But in return, the person had to give it something – something that they would value a lot.

Human beings were all greedy. But even the greediest of them dared not enter the shrine for they feared that their own lives would be taken away. They feared that _that_ would be the price that they would have to pay if they wanted the shrine to grant them their wish. 'What is the use of having your wish granted if you aren't alive to witness it?' they said.

No one knew what the shrine looked like inside. They didn't know what sort of Magic it contained. All they knew was that they had to keep away from it if they wanted to be alive. But many of them swore that it had the power to grant wishes.

It was twilight when two children ventured to find out what the shrine really could do. They were tired of the rumors. They were tired of being warned of the shrine. Their curiosity pushed away all the warnings that people had given them and they sneaked out of their houses to enter the shrine.

And now that they had finally reached the shrine, the warnings came back. They rang out in shrill voices that the children quailed. But they were both determined. Holding hands, they gave the shrine a defiant stare. They exchanged comforting glances and smiled as they held tighter to the other's hand.

They couldn't have been more than ten years old. But there was some sort of connection between the two of them that made people say that 'they were made for each other'. They didn't quite understand what it meant, but they never bothered to find out. They were happy as long as they were together, which brought them back to…

…the shrine.

The girl stared at the boy with her emerald orbs. He stared right back; his eyes looked as if they burning with a fierce determination though his expression was calm and collected. Sakura wondered why she was always unable to tear her eyes from his amber ones when he stared at her like that. She squeezed his hand. "This is it."

He didn't say anything but he nodded as he directed his fierce gaze back at the shrine. She looked away too and suddenly felt uncomfortable. He looked so strong and brave while she felt so scared. Was it wrong to be a little afraid of this haunted shrine? He seemed to have felt her hesitation because he stared at her bent head. "Princess…"

She looked up so suddenly that he was afraid she had broken her neck with that swift moment. But she only glared at him and said, "It's Sa-ku-ra. When will you ever understand that?"

"I'm sorry. I like calling you Princess."

She let out a sigh. Giving the shrine one last glance, she murmured "Are you ready, Syaoran?"

"Yes."

She gave him a firm glance and said, "Then let's do this."

"Yes. Let's do it, Sakura."

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**As you know, this is just the prologue so I didn't make it very long. But I promise that the following chapters will be much longer. I would be very grateful to all of you if you could review this story and tell me what you think about it. Thank you. ^_^**


	2. Chapter 1

**Good day to all of you! Sooo…this is where the real story begins. I thought I should inform the whole lot of you (whoever reads my fanfic, that is) that I take AGES to update at times. And what's more, I've got my exams coming up soon. But I really will concentrate on this fic as much as possible. Anyway, I just hope it's interesting.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TRC.**

**Replies to the reviews of the previous chapter:**

**RandomNo-one – **I'm glad the story has caught your interest. I will update as soon as I can. :D

**Sakura **– Thank you for your review. Please keep reading and reviewing the story!

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**Emotionless**

**Chapter: 1**

PRINCESS TOMOYO had quite a number of ninjas in her world of Nihon. But the best and the strongest of them all was a twenty-year-old ninja with rough manners. He was under Princess Tomoyo's special care because he was one of the few orphans in the country who had lost his father, when he had battled in a war and his mother due to the strange illness that had crippled her.

Or that's what everyone believed. In reality, Kurogane's father, who was actually a powerful landlord – and also a skilled swordsman – had been the one to help the King of Nihon when the demons had attacked all the people. He had died in the battle and his wife, had been affected by the demons, which later led to her death. While Kurogane knew all of this, he had asked Princess Tomoyo to keep it a secret since he didn't want the people to ever remember the incident with the demons.

Princess Tomoyo herself was only twenty, at the brink of twenty-one. However, the ninja's father and her own father had been very good friends. And now that her father was dead, it was Tomoyo's responsibility to keep the promise her father had made to the landlord – to take care of his son. It wasn't a hard task though. Kurogane usually minded his own business – except when it came to fighting.

Kurogane was the most brutal fighter Tomoyo had ever seen. He could be so ruthless when it came to killing – and to kill people, he did. Opponents were fatally wounded when they were done fighting him. Of course, Tomoyo always managed to heal them somehow. But she was worried with the way Kurogane seemed to be leading his life. His sole purpose was to fight, fight, and just fight.

His parents had died when he had only been fifteen. Since then, Princess Tomoyo and her Father had been the only people to care about him. Kurogane was thankful to both of them – especially, Princess Tomoyo, who was only a few months older than him, because she had always looked at him as a friend than as one of her father's subjects.

Tomoyo was one of the people he actually obeyed – and she became the only person he listened to after her Father died. Tomoyo had always been keeping a close eye on him, but when she realized that he was starting to get out of hand, she thought about it. She had an idea, but first, she decided to talk some sense into Kurogane, and if he still wouldn't listen to her, then she would have to carry out her plan.

One cloudy afternoon, in the month of August, when Kurogane was twenty-and-a-half, he received a message from Princess Tomoyo.

_Kurogane,_

_I would like to spend this pleasant afternoon in your presence. There are a few things I would like to talk about. The orchard is my preference. Would you be so kind as to join me as soon as you can?_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Tomoyo._

Kurogane pocketed the letter and with his sword at his waist, set off to meet Tomoyo in the orchard. Tomoyo had always treated him with kindness and Kurogane knew not how he should repay her. But like Tomoyo had always told him, he had already repaid her by protecting her and serving her for the past five years.

He found Tomoyo sitting under an apple tree; he observed her garments. She was wearing a black and maroon robe and as usual, looked beautiful. He stood in front of her and bowed low. She chuckled and asked him to sit by her. He did so reluctantly.

For a few minutes, Tomoyo was silent and it seemed like she was enjoying the pleasant sight in front of her; she had always been a nature-lover. Kurogane dared not to speak before she did and kept quiet – but uncomfortably so. It astonished Kurogane how much Tomoyo had accomplished at such a young age! She was so calm and collected; Kurogane had never seen her act on an impulse before.

It amazed him how much self-control Tomoyo had on herself. No matter how hard Kurogane tried, he knew he could never been as calm as Tomoyo was. It was the way he was, and there was no denying that. But it just unnerved Kurogane how…

…_perfect _Tomoyo was.

"You seem to be in deep thought, Kurogane." Tomoyo's amused voice had him blushing with embarrassment.

He didn't meet her eyes. "Forgive me. I was waiting for you to say something."

She waved her hand dismissively. "There's no need to be so formal, Kurogane. We're friends after all."

"Of course." He attempted to smile.

She returned the smile easily and enjoyed the breeze ruffling her hair. "Kurogane, since I am your friend, I hope I am not taking too much liberty of our friendship when I request you to tell me how your parents were to you and how you felt when they died." Her straightforwardness surprised him.

His eyes instantly hardened. He didn't know where this was going to lead him. She was looking at him curiously, with no other emotion in her face except anticipation. There was no caution and no shrewdness. He relaxed a little, but didn't let his guard down completely. "May I ask the reason for your questions?"

"Nothing but curiosity." Her tone was light and carefree. "We've known each other for so long and yet, I have never dared to ask you this question. Why, I never dared to mention your parents at all. But now, I trust our friendship enough to think that it would withstand such personal questions."

He didn't reply for a long time, but Tomoyo stayed hopeful. She hated assumption after all. He stared straight ahead while she kept her amethyst eyes on him, carefully fathoming the emotions that flitted in and out of his eyes too quickly to be acknowledged. "I felt as though there was a heavy stone in my stomach." His voice was monotonous and it felt as though he was reciting something from a book. "My father had been my guide to life and my mother…well, I loved her. She was always sick and ever more so after she was bed-ridden because of tuberculosis. But she stayed hopeful and always talked about getting better _soon_."

Tomoyo patiently waited for him to continue and something in her heart told her that even though it seemed like he had only obliged her, he had been wanting to talk about this for a long time; just to get it out of his chest. She knew she was mutely making him recall horrible things, but she couldn't help it. If this was the only way to make him realize his actions, then she would have to do it.

"I drew my strength from her cheerful optimism." Kurogane drew in a shaky breath inaudibly. "I never was an optimist myself; not a pessimist, but perhaps…more _practical_. My father was an excellent swordsman – as you already know – and he taught me to fight, hard." He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the air right in front of him. "He taught me to stay strong and to stay on-guard at all times. I trained hard – Father had always said I was never too young to learn. I trained with him for seven long years. I started when I was eight and continued until he went off to fight those demons." He grimaced as he spat out the last word.

Tomoyo stayed quiet – partly because she knew it would do no good to interrupt and partly because she felt uneasy. This wasn't as easy as she had expected it to be. Kurogane had suffered a lot in his life and suddenly it didn't seem fair to tell him things he would have hardly expected _her _to say.

"I was eager to fight alongside with my Father, for at fifteen, I was sure I was stronger than anyone else my age. But Father wouldn't hear any of it. He said I wasn't ready yet." He let out a snort. "And besides, I had Mother to take care of. I couldn't argue against him when he talked about Mother. There was nothing to do but stay with Mother and protect her while he fought those horrible creatures.

"Two days after he had joined your Father, the streets started to get more and more deserted. I had to travel long distances to buy medicine for my Mother since everyone had their shops closed, fearing the demons. I could never bear to leave her alone for more than a half-hour. It so happened that the day I had left her to get her medicine, the demons attacked her.

"When I came back a half-hour later, rejoicing that I had bought enough medicine to last her a month, I found the house door ajar, and Father's books strewn all over the place. I panicked and hurried to my Mother's room, wondering who could have possibly entered the house without my neighbors knowing it since I had locked the house securely."

"And what did you see?" Tomoyo asked quietly so as to not alarm him; he had stopped talking a few minutes ago and she was worried it had affected him a lot.

"I saw her lying on the floor with blood pouring out from her stomach. She was still alive and she was calling out to me…" Kurogane's rough voice softened for a rare moment. "I tried to help her the best I could but I had never been as good at nursing as Father had been. Her face was so pale and her eyes were gradually turning glassy. Soon, she couldn't see me anymore and blindly grasped my hand while I felt the warmth from her hand slowly fading away and felt deathly coldness replacing it.

"And I knew then that she was dead. I had never been more correct in my whole life."

Tomoyo slid closer to him but hesitated to do anything more than that. She wondered whether he could feel the emotions swirling inside her heart. It was pity and sorrow. And guilt. She was feeling very guilty – guilty enough to shake her determination. But she didn't give up. She mutely encouraged him to go on.

"She died in my hands, still worried about me perhaps, and probably wondering when Father was going to come back but she never got to learn his fate either. I didn't cry at all. I was ashamed that I couldn't even shed a few tears for her but no matter how much I was depressed, I was unable to wash it away with tears." Kurogane shifted his gaze to the grass a few feet away from him. "The news of Father reached me a few hours later. The only good news was that the demons had been successfully eliminated. I spent that night digging a grave for both my parents and I laid them side by side, knowing that they would have liked to be that way.

"When I got to see the corpse of my Father, I searched for his sword, but I couldn't find it anywhere on his person. Perhaps, it was lost in his battle with the demons…"

Kurogane suddenly realized that he had just recalled the feelings and the emotions he had felt about five years ago to a person. The Princess of the world he lived in, to be exact. And he was horrified to find out that he didn't regret it one bit. Tomoyo's silence had been just what he had needed to keep talking. Her mute confidence and strength had made him speak properly till the very end.

But now, as he slowly collected himself and tried to soothe his disturbed mind, he felt his old reflexes coming back to him again. Before he knew it, he had built back the walls around himself that Tomoyo had so easily broken. Moving away from her, he said, "That is all I have to say, Princess. If this is what you have been wishing to hear, well, I have spoken it all. Now that I have obliged you, would it be fair to ask you whether I could take leave?"

She didn't respond; she didn't even look at him. Her eyes had a faraway look and Kurogane waited impatiently for her to recollect herself. When she finally did speak, it was to say, "Kurogane…" she muttered the name so quietly that he had to strain his ears to catch it. "Do you know what true strength is?"

She knew by the look on his face that he wasn't going to look forward to it. Her eyes met his sharp red ones and she could feel them turn weary under her strong gaze. A second later, they had turned back to those wary ones she was used to seeing when he fought men. She willed herself to not despair over it and instead waited for him to answer.

He turned away and spoke in the rough voice that had considerably softened just a few minutes ago. "Forgive me, Princess, but I do not know the answer to your question."

Tomoyo refrained herself from sighing. Instead, she continued pleasantly, "Come now, Kurogane, I know you can do better than that."

His guarded eyes rested on her face for a brief moment before he looked away saying, "My father asked me to find out the answer to that question before he went away to battle those demons. And I'm afraid I have not been very successful."

She urged him again to speak his mind and after a lot of coaxing, she was able to get this out of him:

"To me, true strength is something you attain when you defeat each and every opponent of yours without so much as a scratch on you." Kurogane's eyes glowed fiercely. "True strength comes when you keep fighting and make battle your pleasure. It is when you are the strongest in the world and when you can keep testing your strength without tiring over it that true strength finds you."

Tomoyo couldn't have possibly been more disappointed. She tried her best to mask it. "Is that why, Kurogane, you always battle fiercely with your fake opponents, when you practice?"

"Yes."

"But aren't your blows fatally injuring them?"

He looked mildly surprised. "But you're there to heal them, Princess."

Tomoyo felt a slight pressure in her chest that told her nothing more could be discussed. "So you do not care for anyone when it comes to fighting, Kurogane?"

He was confused by the sadness in her tone but nevertheless, he answered honestly, "That is quite true." He paused and the added, "But of course, you expect me to be like that; I can't obviously care about anyone else except you when I'm fighting off opponents to keep you safe. After all, that is my only purpose."

Tomoyo felt disheartened. "Don't you care about all those people you injure? Aren't your dreams haunted by the faces of those you almost kill? All your peers experience something worse than death when they battle against you. If I'm not here, who would heal them? Would you just let them die like that?"

"But you're there, Princess, and they survive. And besides, if they want to get stronger, they would have to put up a good fight and not fall down at just one blow." Kurogane's voice had a little bit of excitement in it.

Tomoyo stopped searching his eyes for a hidden emotion because all that she could see in those red eyes were ferocity, excitement, and courage. There wasn't a little bit of guilt or remorse. But she had known this would happen; she had tried to talk to him, but he had stayed firm. There was nothing to do but to carry out her plan.

"That is all, Kurogane. Now, if you wish to leave, you may." Tomoyo waved her hand, but didn't look at him.

He stood up slowly and faced her fully for a moment. He was surprised by her sudden dismissal and couldn't find the cause for it. However, he bowed mutely and strode out of the orchard and to his abode. But his heart told him he had disappointed Princess Tomoyo in some way, though he didn't quite understand what could have caused the disappointment.

He had been thrown off-guard by her question about true strength, because his Father had phrased the question exactly the way she had. That had made him cautious, but all her coaxing had made him reveal what _he_ thought true strength was.

Maybe his answer had caused the disappointment.

But all he knew was that he had disappointed Princess Tomoyo and his only friend. And he didn't like it one bit.

The next day, when he was practicing again, he was closely observed by Princess Tomoyo, without his own knowledge. Only when he had defeated an opponent and had taken a little break did he notice her leaning against a pillar and observing the practice. He was confused as to why she would come here, but he refrained from going to her because the previous day's conversation still made him uneasy.

After his short break, he faced five opponents who were the strongest of all his opponents. They formed a tight circle around him and eyed him and his wolfish smile warily. Kurogane loved challenge more than anything. And he had a challenge right here.

Though, he could call it an easy challenge.

Seventeen minutes later, Princess Tomoyo strode outside and checked the five men for any fatal wounds. Though they had many, she was relieved to see that they would survive a little while longer before she started healing them. So, she straightened and stared firmly at Kurogane who was in the middle of them all and was standing erect and unharmed, except for a little cut below his right eye.

Nevertheless, he smiled triumphantly at her. He pointed his sword at the man nearest to him and said, "He put up a good fight and managed to harm me. I was derived of the pleasure of finishing this practice unharmed. Princess Tomoyo, I think you should heal him first because I was a little hard on him."

Tomoyo never said a word, but instead took a step back and brought her hands together. Kurogane thought she was starting a healing spell, but instead, he found her talking to him in her low, soft voice, "Kurogane, you are the strongest man in the world of Nihon. But I'm afraid you may not be so when you travel through different worlds and find out what true strength really is. So I hope you will not be offended, when I send you against your will to a different world where you will meet a new set of challenges though quite unlike to the ones you have experienced so far.

"I am sending you on a mission to find out what true strength is. I hope, Kurogane, that you will have a safe journey."

"What the hell? Tomoyo!" Kurogane roared when he found himself slowly being enclosed in a red mass. He tried to fight off the mass with his sword but in vain. For the second time in his life, Kurogane was helpless, the first time being when he watched his Mother die in his arms. He stared at Tomoyo incredulously while she smiled sadly at him.

"I'm so sorry, Kurogane, I truly am. Remember, that I will always be your friend. I hope you will understand soon that this was all for a purpose – a good purpose. I will not send you away like this, if I didn't trust you enough. My words may be meaningless to you _now _but I think you will understand what I'm talking about in a few years' time."

"Years?" Kurogane yelled, while he fought the red mass that was trying to cover his whole face. "You're sending me away for years together? Tomoyo, what is the meaning of this?"

"There are a million worlds in this universe, Kurogane. I am just sending you to one of them. I think you will recognize the people there as some of your peers, but I must warn you that they will not know you. Farewell, Kurogane, my friend." With a wave of her hand, Tomoyo forced the mass to engulf him. Tomoyo's slightly concerned face was the last thing that he saw before he was lulled to sleep.

"Oh." Tomoyo sighed as she stared up at the sky. She felt to her knees and clasped her hands together, her eyes never leaving the grey clouds. "Mother, Father, I hope I have done the right thing. I am so sorry Kurogane." She whispered, "I hope you will forgive me. Stay in the shade, my friend, stay safe."

Kurogane's sleep had been an extraordinary one. It hadn't had any of those nightmares he usually dreamt of when he rested after a day full of practice. He was extremely irritated to be jolted awake by the dull thud of him hitting a tree branch and lying there. He half-wondered whether he had slept in a tree last night after practice before Princess Tomoyo's face had him remembering all the things that had happened.

He instantly turned cautious and examined his surroundings. He was lying on the branch of an apple tree. Its branches were moving with the slight breeze. The peace and quiet of the place eventually calmed Kurogane who decided that the next best thing to do would be to get out of the tree. He slid down the bark of the tree carelessly, gave his clothes a hasty brush, and clutched his sword tightly.

All around him, trees and greenery occupied the place. There were cherry trees here and there and apple trees weren't very uncommon either. Kurogane wanted to know where this place was and wondered whether this was the world he was supposed to be living in.

Well, it sure seemed harmless.

"_You will meet a new set of challenges though quite unlike to the ones you have experienced so far."_

Tomoyo's soft voice resounded in is ears. He set his mouth in a hard line and walked away from the apple tree he had arrived in. When he looked back at it again, it was just a normal tree. He collected his thoughts and cautiously entered the large building a few yards away from the trees. Inside, hundreds of people were walking here and there. Kurogane locked himself in a closet and peered through its small holes to see how the people were in this world.

Men and women dressed alike – in blue pants and brightly colored shirts. Women had short hair too and they laughed and talked so informally. Kurogane ventured to exit the closet only when the hallway was deserted. He stayed as inconspicuous as possible, which was very hard as his clothes were quite different and his sword drew attention.

A few months after his arrival, he saw Princess Tomoyo studying in the same college as his. When he pulled her away from her giggling friends, and demanded an explanation from her, he was only answered with a bemused stare.

"Princess Tomoyo! What are you doing to me? Why did you make me come here?"

She blinked at him. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe I know you. And I hope you would stop calling me a 'Princess'. I really can't understand why you would call me that."

He stared at her incredulously before recollecting himself. _"I think you will recognize the people there as some of your peers, but I must warn you that they will not know you."_ The real Princess Tomoyo's voice whispered those words again. He let go Tomoyo's hand and apologized before running out of the place.

He had met someone like his Princess Tomoyo, someone exactly like her, and yet she did now know him. She had the same wavy black tresses, the same violet eyes, and the same pale skin. Even her calm demeanor was exceptionally like Princess Tomoyo's. That was when Kurogane understood that this Tomoyo was from this modern world.

He never talked to Tomoyo again. But she smiled at him in greeting whenever he passed her. Somehow, his misunderstanding amused her instead of angering her – another trait of Princess Tomoyo's. Before he knew it, he was already acquainted with her.

For many months, Kurogane struggled to set into the lifestyle of the human beings in that world. It wasn't until a few weeks after his arrival that he found out that the building was actually a college. College was a whole new word and he had a hard time finding out what it meant. Somehow, he managed to get himself a seat in the college. He was only twenty after all. And so, a year passed by before Kurogane could talk and walk like the people in that world. He was in his last year of college.

It so happened that all those trees in the college made up the orchard of the college. Kurogane liked the place and often ate his lunch under the apple tree on which he had been borne. He didn't get along with his college-mates, except for Tomoyo, and he didn't care for friends either. He liked being alone and doing things his own way. It was a comfort to be alone.

But his loneliness lasted only for a year. One fine afternoon, during his second and final year in college, when he was walking to the apple tree to have his lunch, he was greeted by the sight of a strange young man, lying under _his _tree. The man appeared to be deep in thought and didn't notice Kurogane right away. He took this opportunity to examine the man's appearance.

His hair was blond and his eyes were blue. The people in the modern world rarely had light hair. Black and brown were more prominent. So Kurogane wondered whether he was a foreigner. There was a high possibility that he was. When the young man still didn't acknowledge him, Kurogane started to get irritated. He would just have to jolt the man out of his reverie.

* * *

"RUN! Yui, get out of here!" Fai yelled as he pushed his twin towards the swirling black mass.

"No!" Yui cried out despairingly. "Fai, come with me!"

A large ball of fire plummeted right down at them. Fai threw himself on Yui and moved away before the fire could hurt either of them. "I can't, Yui. You have to go alone."

"Why not?" Yui wouldn't hear of letting go of his brother.

"There isn't much time. Please! Understand." Fai encouraged him with another push towards the black mass.

Yui grasped hold of his brother's hand and gazed at him as though he was memorizing his face – there was no need to do so. Yui looked exactly like Fai. Fai's tensed face relaxed into a gentle smile that he only saved for his little brother. He loved Yui more than anything. Yui returned the smile with as much cheerfulness as he could.

Fai took hold of his brother's hand that was grasping his own and gently but forcefully removed it from his hand. "Go now, Yui. You'll be safe once you enter that mass of black material."

Yui took one last look of his world. There was destruction everywhere and corpses, the color of ash, were occasionally found here and there. Yui found it hard to believe that his once beautiful world was capable of experiencing such ugliness. He couldn't bear to look at it anymore. "Is…is this the end of our world, Fai?"

"I don't know, Yui." Fai sighed. "Now go. And promise me that you won't try to come back."

"I promise."

"Good. Now hurry!"

"Fai…" Yui's heart thudded. "Will you come for me?"

He could see the hesitation in Fai's eyes and he distinctly felt his heart ripping into two. Fai couldn't…Fai wouldn't…

"Yes."

Yui stared at his look-alike. "Promise?"

"I promise." With that one last word, Fai pushed him into the black mass. The last thing that Yui saw before losing consciousness was Fai running away from another ball of fire. _He promised to come back for me. _Yui smiled as sleep took control of his body. He tried to fight against it. He wanted to stay awake so that he would know where this big mass of darkness was going to take him.

But it seemed as though the mass would put up a fight in return. Sleep finally overpowered him. In spite of himself, his eyes closed and he drifted off to a dreamless sleep with the black mass rocking him back and forth. Somewhere far away, Yui could hear someone singing a lullaby. He sighed contentedly and smiled as he succumbed to the drowsiness. Fai was going to come back for him. Then, everything will be all right.

When Yui was finally able to come out of the enchanted sleep, he found daylight hurting his eyelids. With one hand raised protectively in front of him, he cautiously opened his eyes. Sunlight was filtering through the branches of the tree he was lying against. As Yui sat himself up, he surveyed his surroundings. Everything around him was green – unlike his world.

This pleasant discovery frightened him. He frantically searched for his older brother. But Fai was nowhere to be found. Cold fear gnawed at his insides. Fai hadn't kept up his promise. Had he been abandoned in some strange land?

_Maybe Fai had been unable to come back for him._

Yui shuddered to think of that. No, Fai had promised to come for him and so he will. Yui would just have to wait for him. It didn't matter how long it would take – a week, a month, even a year. All that mattered was that he would someday get to meet his twin brother again. Yui cheered himself up with that thought.

Out of the two, Yui had always been the optimist while Fai was more practical. The only family that they had was themselves. They had grown to love each other in the twenty years that they had been together. But now, they were separated and Yui didn't know what he should do. It now occurred to him that he had always been dependent on Fai. Fai's decision had been his decision. If Fai said it wasn't right, then it certainly wasn't right. If Fai found it reasonable, then Yui found it reasonable.

Whatever Fai said was true. Yui had never doubted his brother his whole life.

But now, amidst this strange land, where there was no Fai to run to, Yui was all alone. He would have to learn to be independent. He would long for his brother day and night, but there was nothing he could do but wait. After all, he had promised to wait and not come back to his real world. But if Yui did want to go back to his world, he wouldn't be able to, since he didn't know the way back.

Both Yui and Fai refrained from using Magic as much as possible. It wasn't just the fact that they didn't know half of their own powers, but it was because it tired them. So it was a mystery to Yui as to how his brother had managed to send him to a different world. He didn't know Fai had known the technique of transporting people from one world to another. The concept of there being a lot of worlds coexisting together in the universe was not new to Yui. He had been told that since he had been a child. But the technique of actually traveling through the worlds had never been mentioned to him before.

Fai was only a few minutes older than him, but that had made him act responsible for Yui. There had always been open love and care between the two brothers. Yui had always shared his thoughts with his brother. It had never occurred to Yui before that his twin might be hiding things. Now that he analyzed it, there was a huge possibility that Fai had hidden many things from him.

Yui wasn't exactly hurt by this realization. He was just deeply confused. He made a mental note to demand an explanation from Fai when he would finally get to meet him again. For now, he would have to satisfy himself with that one thought.

"Hey, you." An irritable voice called out.

Yui looked up and met a pair of deep red eyes. They were the color of rubies. He stared up at the man staring irritably at him. It had never been in Yui to judge people by their appearance – their demeanor was what he went for. This black-haired man's demeanor was exceptionally grumpy. Yui couldn't recognize the guy and yet, he didn't seem like a harmful person despite his grumpy attitude. The black-haired young man waited impatiently for him to respond.

But instead, Yui gazed at him without opening his mouth. Three minutes passed in this fashion. Finally, the young man snorted and said, "What are you, a statue? Move!"

"Why?" Yui didn't move an inch from the tree.

"Because you're in my place. This is where I eat my lunch. You're currently occupying it. If you don't mind, I would rather have it back." He replied bitingly.

His tone only made Yui chuckle. For some unknown reason this man amused him instead of angering him. Yui stood up; the other guy was taller than he was. As soon as he had got up, the man sat down and leaned against the tree.

Yui watched while the brunette minded his own business and didn't bother enough to ask him who he was and what he was doing here. It looked like he was exceptionally hungry because he swallowed his meat balls hungrily instead of chewing them. When he finally noticed Yui staring at him interestedly, he wiped his mouth and growled. "What?"

Yui merely shook his head and sat across from him and continued to observe the red-eyed man. However, he had stopped eating now and was looking at Yui. "I can't eat if you keep staring at me like that."

Yui made no reply.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"Oh yes." Yui nodded his head. "But I'm afraid you would have to put up with my 'stares'."

The guy sighed. It looked like he had finally realized his manners. "What's your name?"

"My name…" Yui began and smiled widely. "…is Fai."

And at that instant, Yui made a decision. He would be like his brother. He would become his brother. After all, he had always admired Fai; there was no wrong in adopting his name and living like him. Besides, no one seemed to know him in this new world. He would wait for his brother and when he does finally come for him, Yui would drop his identity as Fai and join the real Fai to journey through the worlds.

But until then, he would wait. Yui could be patient after all.

"Fai." The young man frowned in confusion. "Well I don't think I know you. I've never heard your name in my whole life. Are you new in college?"

The new Fai wanted to tell the brunette that he was new to this world altogether. But he knew he couldn't stay things like that. The guy probably wouldn't understand what he was referring to. "I suppose you could say that." He said at last. "What's your name?"

The guy hesitated, obviously debating whether to tell this strange man his real name. He observed Fai's blond hair and blue eyes carefully. He certainly was a foreigner – which probably proved that he was new to the college. "Kurogane." He said resignedly.

"Kurogane." Fai echoed. "Wow, that's a mouthful. Can I shorten it?"

Kurogane stared incredulously at the blond. "Of course not! And you can't shorten my name any more than it already is."

"But I could call you something cute! Like…" Fai searched for an example. "Kuro-chan!"

"Absolutely not!" Kurogane roared. Fai chuckled and surprised the two of them. Kurogane only seemed more excited by his chuckle while Fai himself was unable to understand how he could smile and talk so easily with this black-haired man when, for all he knew, his twin brother might actually be dead.

_But I'm supposed to be optimistic._ Fai reminded himself with a smile. _It starts from right now. I stay in this world as long as I can help it and then, when Fai comes for me, I will join him. So I have to be cautious and not form a close relationship with any of the people here – especially Kuro-chan. Who knows, by the time brother comes for me, Kuro-chan might be so dear to me that I won't have the heart to let go of him. So I must keep my distance._

But the new Fai found it very hard to _not _get attached to this grumpy boy.

* * *

"KURO-CHAN!" A blond young man yelled from the very end of a hallway to the man almost close to the other end. The man thus addressed turned around with annoyance clearly etched across his face. He stopped walking and impatiently waited for the blond to catch up with him while he endured the whispers of the people walking past him.

"Did you hear what he called him?"

"Kuro-_chan_. Why would anyone call such a grumpy looking guy that?"

Kurogane growled when an oblivious Fai greeted him with a cheery smile. "Hello there, Kuro-chan."

"You." Kurogane spat out. "You have got to learn to keep your mouth shut."

Fai looked mildly surprised. "Huh? But I wanted to catch up with you and you were so far away! I had to call you."

"Then use my full name!" Kurogane was now positively red.

"Awww…is that what's bothering you?" Fai smiled up at the black-haired guy. "Don't mind what people say Kuro-chan. They don't know how cute you are."

Kurogane opened his mouth to say something rude when a soft voice called out, "Oh hi there, Kurogane."

The rapid change in Kurogane's demeanor was impressive. Fai watched, fascinated, as Kurogane smoothed his murderous expression. His red eyes twinkled with a hidden secret that made him seem so mysterious. "H-Hi Tomoyo."

The woman smiled sweetly and turned to acknowledge Fai; he greeted her in his own bouncy way. Kurogane thought he would die of embarrassment when Fai addressed him with, "Kuro-chan, I better get going. I'll meet you near the tree, okay?"

Tomoyo let out a small chuckle. "Kuro-chan? That's so sweet and cute."

Before Kurogane could reply, Fai cut in eagerly, "You think so? That's good. I was just telling Kuro-chan here not to worry about what people said. The nickname suits him very well, right?"

"Certainly." Tomoyo happened to glance at her watch. "Oh! I have to go now. I'll talk to you later, Kuro-chan—" she giggled. "and Fai."

"See you later, Tomoyo-chan!" Fai yelled as she walked away. Then, walking with his hands behind his head, he said, "Well, that went well."

"What do you mean it went well?!" Kurogane grabbed Fai by his shoulder and slammed him across the wall; however, Fai was not in the least way affected. Even though Kurogane looked ready to kill, he took care not to hurt the guy. Fai only let out an "Oof!"

"But Kuro-chan—"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Kurogane roared. People hurrying past slowed down and looked at the two guys, bewildered. Kurogane couldn't have cared less. He stared hard at Fai – who _would _look at him with a mixture of surprise and amusement in his face. Finally, he let go of him and sighed inaudibly.

"I don't see why you're getting this worked up about it." Fai said, as he checked his elbows for any supposed bruises; he found none. "It's just a nickname."

"It's…it's…it's too girly!" Kurogane choked out.

"Girly?" Fai stared at the black-haired man with an unreadable expression on his face before he burst out laughing. Kurogane closed his eyes in exasperation and waited for Fai to calm down.

"G-girly…" Fai gasped, clutching his stomach. "Ohh…that was a good one…"

Kurogane decided that it would be best to not pursue the subject again for quite a while. He had hardly met Fai a few months ago and yet something had made the both of them hang out together since then. Surprisingly, Fai struggled just as much as Kurogane did to set into the lifestyle of the people of this world. This made Kurogane suspicious as to whether Fai was from a different country or a different world altogether. But he never voiced his thoughts to Fai, of course.

Kurogane couldn't help but notice that Fai was hiding something from him – that no matter how cheerful he seemed, or how happy he was, Fai was a closed book. At all times.

Kurogane couldn't care less about Fai's secrets, but something about him, something in his cheerful demeanor made him believe that maybe, just _maybe _Fai had somewhat gone through the same experiences in life as he had done. That was perhaps what drew him towards Fai.

"Yoo-hoo!" Fai waved his hand in front on Kurogane's face. "Kuro-poo!"

Kurogane snapped back into reality and frowned at Fai. "What?"

Fai pretended to pout. "I was just talking to you and you hardly responded. What's up, Kuro-chan?"

Kurogane merely grunted and shook his head.

Fai let him go and said, "Tut, tut, Kurogane looked so cute when he talked to Tomoyo just then."

"…"

"Kuro-chan should tell Tomoyo how he feels." Fai said thoughtfully, putting a finger to his chin. "I think Tomoyo would accept him."

"I don't feel anything for her."

"Come on!" Fai sat down under the tree they usually had lunch under. He looked up at Kurogane, "Anyone can see you have a crush on her, Kuro-chan."

"I do _not_!" Kurogane stressed on the last word as he sat across from Fai and opened his lunch. Fai was already chewing his meat balls.

The two of them bickered until the end of lunch. Fai wouldn't let it go this time – he could see what Kurogane felt for Tomoyo. Fai didn't know much about Tomoyo's feelings but he couldn't see why she possibly wouldn't accept him. Except for his grumpy attitude now and then, Kurogane was actually a very nice guy.

His thick black hair was short and spiked. His eyes were a deep red that reminded one of a dragon's eyes. He was darker than Fai was, but nevertheless, he was quite handsome. If anyone could see past his irritable demeanor, Fai was sure girls would fall left and right for his friend. But Fai also knew that Kurogane would never accept his feelings for Tomoyo unless and until things get too far.

He smiled as he watched Kurogane wolf down his lunch. He had only met him a few months ago, and yet Fai had grown to like him very much. But Fai also knew that he had failed miserably in his resolve to not get too attached to Kurogane. It had been months since he had arrived here and yet there had been no news of his twin brother, the true Fai.

The two of them were in their own thoughts when a rustling sound whisked them out of their reveries. There was a scratching sound and they instantly stood up and were on-guard, both tensed, because they somehow felt that whatever was rustling and scratching was surely not something that would be harmless. They were concentrating so hard on the sounds that didn't realize that the other had been able to sense the strange feeling too.

After a little more of rustling and definite scraping, a figure slid down the cherry tree a few feet away from the apple tree they were having lunch under. Both Fai and Kurogane tensed. Kurogane had a frown on his face while Fai's face was innocent and curious though on closer observation, his eyes seemed to be piercing everything it took in. The figure slowly straightened and that's when they noticed that it was carrying something in its arms. They waited in anticipation. The figure stepped out from under the shade of the cherry tree.

It was a boy – a boy with messy chestnut-colored hair and deep amber eyes. He was six feet tall and the "thing" he was actually carrying in his arms was a young girl, about his age. She had light brown hair – lighter than his and her eyes were closed. Her pale face revealed her unconsciousness. She was much too pale to be sleeping.

The boy stared warily at them, but not defiantly. He looked around him and mumbled, "Yukito-san, where have you sent us…?"

* * *

**Well, that was one long chapter – in my opinion at least. My exams are like ten days away, so I don't know…I might update soon; I might not. I hope you enjoy the story all the same. And please review! Thank you.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hallo! MY EXAMS ARE OVER. They are gone for good! I'm so relieved they're over though my vacation isn't all that exciting. Kind of monotonous, if you ask me. But then, I guess I don't mind it so much. So…well I'm ready with the second chapter. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TRC.**

**And now, I also have a beta-reader who was kind enough to patiently correct all the silly mistakes I make while writing (and when I say ****_silly _I mean ****_silly_). Thank you so much !**

* * *

**Emotionless**

**Chapter: 2**

"SYAORAN,I think she's going to be all right." Yukito calmly spoke to the boy standing right next to him. His eyes were full of concern and he was sweating profusely. He seemed to be a real mess. One lock of his hair fell right over his eyes and he impatiently pushed it away, never taking his eyes off of the girl lying on the ground.

She was perfectly still and was a deathly pale. Her chest wasn't even rising and falling, which proved that she wasn't sleeping at all. Her still face frightened Syaoran more than anything and he desperately hoped that Yukito was right. He longed to see her pretty green eyes again – eyes that had lost their smile since five years ago. Her brown bangs covered her forehead and her hands were at her sides.

"I hope you are right, Yukito-san." Syaoran murmured as he kneeled down next to Sakura and gently pushed the hair away from her forehead. "Her pale face frightens me too much."

Yukito felt her cold hand and shook his head, smiling. "Nothing bad has happened, Syaoran. There is absolutely no need to worry. She's just unconscious."

"But that's the point!" Syaoran struggled to keep his voice under control. "I don't know why she suddenly fainted! She wasn't dehydrated and I knew she was eating very well too. There really was nothing wrong with her. She had no reason to faint…but she did."

Yukito patiently listened to the boy's worries; he obviously cared a lot about Sakura. It was very evident in the way he talked about her. Yukito didn't know whether he was supposed to be happy about that or not. Well, Toya, for one, was seriously displeased with Sakura hanging out with the 'brat'. That certainly was something to think about.

"I think we need to move her." Yukito said, while he sat Sakura up. "The best thing to do would be to take her back to the palace; Toya should know what happened."

Syaoran squirmed at Yukito's words. He was well aware of the fact that Toya hated him for no reason. Syaoran didn't feel the same away about Toya, though. He greatly admired Sakura's brother for his courage. And he was the King now after all. Nodding reluctantly, he helped Yukito make Sakura stand up and then, Yukito made her hands enclose his neck and made sure her legs were tightly wound around his waist. Syaoran would have rather given Sakura a piggyback ride himself. But he knew Toya wouldn't like that, so he walked silently beside Yukito.

The land of Clow was ruled by Clow Reed before he passed away and was succeeded by his eldest child, Toya Reed. It was never known who Clow Reed's wife was – why, even his children didn't know who their mother was. Toya and Sakura had always seen the sad look that took over his cheerful face whenever they brought up the subject about who their mother was. They decided that they would never ask him again about it. And he was secretly very grateful to them about that.

Sakura's father had died when she had been only ten. Toya had had to take over the country when he had turned fifteen. But he had such self-control and had learned his Father's ruling skills that he was quite capable of being the king at such a young age. He was quite over-protective of Sakura and hated her hanging out with Syaoran, just because he knew something about that brat that Syaoran himself didn't know.

"Ah…here we are…" Yukito muttered, while he smiled at the guards at the front gate. They hastily moved away and shot worried glances at Sakura but didn't dare to ask anything. Sakura was liked by almost all the people in the country for her kindness.

"She's fine." Yukito reassured them, apparently having noticed their concern. They blushed a little and bowed their heads, still not opening their mouths. Yukito sighed and turned back to Syaoran, "You know, they really should be a little less respectful. They make me feel like I'm their Master and they're my slaves. I have to speak to Toya about this."

Syaoran nodded absentmindedly while he hastily checked his appearance. Toya would certainly find another way to torment him when he found Syaoran looking dirty and messy. Yukito hid yet another smile as he said, "You look fine, Syaoran. You don't have to worry about it."

They reached one of the larger rooms in the west wing of the castle; Toya's room.

"About time you came back, Sakura." A lazy voice drawled. Syaoran was the first one to enter the room, much to his discomfort. Yukito made it a point to force him in first. He found Toya lying on the couch and stretching himself lazily. He opened one eye, found Syaoran staring dismally at everything but him, and glared at him. "Hey brat, where is—"

He stopped short when he saw Yukito enter with Sakura on his back. He was on his feet instantly and strode over to Yukito, all his laziness vanishing, to be replaced by great concern. "What the hell happened to her, Yukito?" he growled while Yukito lowered Sakura to the ground, carried her to the couch and laid her there.

While Yukito was busy doing this, Toya turned to Syaoran and glared full blast at him. Syaoran felt his face going a bright red and suddenly wished the ground could swallow him up. He knew that Toya was going to come up to him any moment now and pull him up by his collar. Syaoran knew he deserved it, considering how he had failed to take proper care of Sakura, but it was a bit uncomfortable to be treated like a scoundrel when you're fifteen years old and have no idea what is going on.

"It's not Syaoran's fault, Toya." Syaoran thought Yukito sounded tired. "So stop glaring at him like that."

"Well then tell me what's going on with her." Toya completely ignored Syaoran and turned to Yukito. _Ignorance is bliss after all. _Syaoran thought, biting back a sigh of relief.

Yukito took his time answering. He lingered over the unconscious Sakura, trying to make her more comfortable. He draped a blanket over her shoulders and he pushed back the bangs that had fallen over her forehead again. Toya watched him with his hands folded while Syaoan stood in a corner, looking at Sakura worriedly.

"She fainted a while ago. Syaoran says she wasn't dehydrated or hungry – because they had had lunch only a few minutes ago. I—"

"And I don't believe him." Toya said, gritting his teeth.

Before Yukito could try to reason with the angry king, Syaoran spoke softly. "I'm not lying, Your Highness. I would never lie about anything that has to do with the Princess." He stared straight at Toya, looking both firm and polite.

They stared at each other for quite some time. Toya seemed to be reading him. He held Syaoran in place with his strong gaze; Syaoran didn't seem to be in the least bit fazed.

Finally, Toya unwillingly let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. So Yukito, how did you get to know about this?"

"I happened to pass by. And Syaoran asked for my help since he didn't know why she had fainted. He had tried to awaken her using all methods possible, but she wouldn't wake up."

"I'm sure he didn't try hard enough." Toya muttered but Syaoran didn't say anything this time. "So is she going to be all right?"

"Yes." Yukito said, turning back to her. "But I still have to find out how this happened. For now, she needs some rest. The best thing to do would be to let her sleep as long as she wants. She'll wake up on her own, so there's nothing to worry about."

_Yet. _Yukito added in his mind, trying hard not to look worried because he knew that that would only make both Toya and Syaoran more worried than they already were. This was no simple matter and the only reason Yukito was making it appear simple was because the other two men standing in the room would go to great lengths just to make sure Sakura was all right. Yukito cared about her as much as they did, and would do anything for the welfare of the princess, but he was much calmer and more sensible than the other two when it came to looking after her.

She was in a fair way to be spoilt with all the care she was given. But she never turned out to be a conceited girl. In fact, Sakura had always been very cheerful…that was until five years ago. Yukito wondered whether the death of Clow Reed had changed her. But he really couldn't understand what had happened to her. Neither could Syaoran or Toya, for that matter. No one knew what happened to her, except for, well…herself.

"Well I suppose we should just leave her alone then." Toya said, after an inaudible sigh. He stared pointedly at Syaoran, who bowed and mumbled something incoherent and left the room – not before throwing Sakura a concerned glance.

When he was sure that Syaoran was safely out of the castle, Toya let out another sigh which anyone could hear and massaged his temples. Yukito turned his attention on him for a second and then went back to making sure Sakura was comfortable while feeling her pulse for the second time that day. Toya observed him closely, determined to know whether Yukito was hiding something from him. A few minutes later, Yukito faced him, his eyes hard.

Toya's eyes widened for a second and then, he lowered his face and looked away. "How bad is it?" his lips quivered even though he fought hard to keep his voice steady.

Yukito made no reply and waited patiently for Toya to meet his eyes again. _This won't do. I'm tired of hiding things from you, Toya. And I think you should learn to be more sensible when it comes to taking care of Sakura. _Yukito bit his lips to stop those words from spilling out of his mouth. He waited as patiently as he could for Toya to face him.

After what seemed like hours, Toya slowly looked up again, and Yukito, losing no time, caught his brown eyes in his strong gaze. He had never seen Yukito look so hard before. What was going on?

"She's _not_ fine. She's almost dying." Yukito fought to ignore the gasp that had escaped unheeded, from Toya's mouth. "We should waste no time in curing her."

"Yuki, what—? I mean..she…what's going—_How_?" Toya swallowed convulsively. "H-How do we save her?"

"She has to leave. _Soon_." Yukito stressed on the last word.

Toya didn't dare to tear his eyes away from Yukito's face. "Where?"

"Wherever it is necessary. She needs to good care and you can't give her that."

"I _can_! I am her brother, Yuki. What—"

"And you're also the King of this land. You cannot afford to focus your full attention on your sister." Yukito's voice had softened, but it still held the authoritative tone, seldom heard in his voice. Toya understood what he was trying to say.

"When should she leave?"

"As soon as possible."

"She cannot go alone. I object."

"I do not intend on sending her alone."

Toya looked surprised again. "You're going with her?"

"No. I am the High Priest of this land. I cannot leave."

And in that, Toya knew the answer to his question. He shook his head firmly. "No. _No_. There is no way I will let that happen."

"We have no other option."

"We do have other options!" Toya barked, clenching his fists. "If we can just think clearly, we will come up with something…"

"Toya, there is no other option." Yukito's voice sounded weary again, while he prepared himself for another outburst. "Syaoran is capable of taking care of Sakura."

"That _brat_? Taking care of my sister? The Princess? No, Yuki. I won't let you do this. He doesn't know a thing about taking care of her."

"He has been taking care of her since they were eight." Yukito reminded him somewhat patiently.

"Didn't you see what happened today? He was completely incapable and careless!" Toya was almost shouting.

"Sakura's present condition has nothing to do with Syaoran's incapacity. He couldn't have done anything to save her. _I _couldn't have done anything to save her." Yukito moved closer to Toya and put a hand on his shoulder. "Toya, you have to let go of her. She has to leave now. There's no other way."

Toya didn't say anything for a while. Then, he grunted. "I knew it." He whispered. "I have always known it." He grit his teeth. "She…she's fated to be with _him_, isn't she?"

Yukito didn't need to be told who the "him" was. He nodded his head slowly. "Yes. Yes, I'm afraid so."

Toya moved away abruptly, leaving Yukito's hand hanging in the air. He turned his back to Yukito, still not quite sure why he didn't want his best friend to pierce him with his gaze again. Up until now, Toya had always been able to meet Yukito's gaze courageously. But now, when it came to Sakura, he was very vulnerable; way too vulnerable. He couldn't bear the thought of his baby sister traveling with that…that _brat_.

Yukito pulled back his hand and stared at the ground. Moments later, he cleared his throat and said, "I suppose I should make arrangements for the Princess's journey, Your Highness."

Toya knew this was Yukito's way of saying that there was nothing else to be said. He nodded his head, still not turning around to face him. "Yes. Tsukishiro-san, please make the arrangements quickly. The Princess has to leave as soon as possible."

Yukito bowed, "Of course."

* * *

"PRINCESS?"Syaoran murmured uncertainly.

Sakura opened her eyes slowly at the sound of her name being called out and smiled weakly at Syaoran. He pursed his lips, and leaned forward precariously fighting his natural instinct to hold her in his arms. "Princess? Are you all right?"

"I'm..I'm not really sure." Her hoarse voice sent chills down his spine. Whatever had happened to her sweet voice?

"You really don't seem well, Princess. Maybe you should go back to sleep." Syaoran whispered, examining her fragile form, noticing how her skin was still unhealthily pale.

She made an effort to shake her head. "I can't do that, Syaoran. I've slept enough; I'm wide awake now. I just have a killer headache."

He couldn't bear to hear her voice like this. However, he chose to keep quiet and sat by her side, gazing at her calmly, wondering what was wrong with her. After a few minutes' of silence, he spoke. "Would you like me to put a cold cloth over your forehead, Princess? That might help."

She agreed gratefully and he at once disappeared to get a piece of cloth and a bowl full of cold water. He was secretly pleased to have something to do. He didn't think he could have sat there, hiding his grief from her.

He set the bowl of water on the table beside her bed and dipped the cloth in it. He squeezed the cloth as hard as he could, and then placed it on her forehead. He heard her sharp intake of breath, but said nothing, knowing that if it had worsened her condition, she would have cried out. He waited patiently for about ten minutes and then removed the cloth. He felt her forehead and was pleased to note that there was a slight decrease in the temperature of her brow.

They were both alone in Sakura's room. Syaoran didn't know how Yukito had persuaded Toya to let him come and meet Sakura. The fainting incident had happened a day ago and Toya still didn't seem to have reconciled himself to the fact that it wasn't Syaoran's fault that Sakura was so sickly. It was quite a surprise that they were left alone.

"Do you feel better, Princess?" He asked quietly, after he had repeated the action about five times.

She smiled a little. He turned away to dip the cloth again and he heard her hoarse whisper again. "Sakura."

He turned back to her, confused. "Princess?"

She shook her head. "It's Sakura, Syaoran. Not Princess. Sakura."

He smiled at her, as she closed her eyes contently. He turned away and took a deep breath to prevent the tears from falling down his cheeks. Oh god. Why did this have to happen to her? Sakura was the kindest person he had ever met. And now…right before his eyes she, she—

The door creaked open and Yukito's silver head poked in. Syaoran immediately bowed, "Yukito-san."

"Ah, Syaoran." Yukito murmured, and entered the room, closing the door behind him. "How is the Princess?"

Sakura opened her eyes and gave Yukito her weak smile. "I'm OK, Yukito-san. Just a little uneasy."

He raised an eyebrow and felt her pulse. "A little?"

Syaoran heard her sigh. "All right. A lot. Happy, Yukito-san?"

Yukito forced out a chuckle. "Sakura-chan shouldn't lie to me, so. Especially when it concerns her health."

"I just don't want anyone to worry." She murmured.

Yukito made no reply to this, while Syaoran looked away. _Not worry?_ He asked himself. _Sakura, that's impossible! You don't seem well at all. Your condition frightens me too much._

"Well then…" Yukito let go of her hand, and rummaged one of his pockets. He pulled out a small bottle and poured it in a glass containing hot water.

Sakura watched him do this and frowned, "Medicine."

Syaoran read her expression of distaste, but he could hear no disdain in her voice. Her voice was just as hoarse as it had been a few minutes ago. But that was not the problem anymore.

It was the fact that her voice lacked emotion of any kind.

Since five years ago, Sakura had become an emotionless child. Though she was quite generous with her expressions, her eyes had lost their liveliness and had turned into stone-like emerald jewels. Her voice, although as sweet as honey, had lost its tone of cheerfulness.

Syaoran didn't know why or how she had turned out to be this way, but he never dared to ask her. For five long years, he had kept his mouth shut, desperately hoping she would turn back to normal.

She never did.

And now, suddenly, his desire to know what had happened to her increased drastically. Syaoran had to bite his lower lip often to stop himself from expressing his curiosity. He never voiced out his question to her because he knew Sakura would tell him if she truly wanted to. And so he waited.

Fortunately, he had been granted the virtue of patience. He could be patient to some extent. But when it came to Sakura, even a small irrelevant matter could have him getting agitated. He cared too much about Sakura; it was one of his great failings – if he could call it that.

He was brought back to earth by the sound of Yukito pouring the mixture of water and medicine in a cup and handing it over to Sakura. She raised herself to a sitting position without any help and let out a small sigh before accepting the warm cup. She blew on the mixture gently and took a small sip.

"It does _not _taste good." She emphasized on the "not".

"The best medicine doesn't always taste nice." Yukito said promptly. "I think it would be best if you finish the whole cup, Sakura-chan."

She didn't say anything but sipped again. It took her a few minutes to finally finish the cup. She handed over the cup to Yukito-san and sank back to the mattress, her eyes closing in spite of herself.

"Sakura!" Syaoran called out, but Yukito put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"It's all right, Syaoran. She's just asleep. The medicine was a drug to put her to sleep."

"But…why? She said she didn't want to sleep anymore."

"Syaoran." The way he said his name, had the boy standing erect and awaiting the High Priest's command.

Yukito whirled around to face the boy, just when the door opened and Toya entered the room. Syaoran bowed low to the King, but the King didn't acknowledge him, instead, he checked on his sister and then stood by Yukito's side, with his hands folded.

"Syaoran." Yukito repeated, his golden eyes searching the boy's amber ones. "Do you swear to protect Sakura, the Princess of the Clow Kingdom, all your life?"

Syaoran didn't know where this was going to lead him, but he answered truthfully, "Yes, I swear."

"The Princess is in the danger of dying. Do you, Syaoran, vow to prevent her from dying in all ways possible?"

He was given no time to express his shock. "Yes, I vow to prevent the Princess from dying."

Toya was suddenly at Sakura's side, leaning forward and kissing her forehead gently. Syaoran's ears were barely able to capture his words; spoken so low. "Goodbye, Sakura."

He had to understand what was going on. "Yukito-san, what is going on? Is Sakura…is she—"

"Yes." That mono-syllable spoke volumes.

"Syaoran, you have to take the Princess and leave now." Yukito said urgently, waving his hands over Sakura's sleeping form. "The drug lasts for only a few hours and you have to reach there before it wears off."

There? Where exactly was "there"? Syaoran opened his mouth again, his lips poised to ask, "Yukito-san, I don't—"

Toya snarled. "You heard him, brat! Now take her and leave! Don't just stand there and ask questions. And I warn you, if anything happens to my sister, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you."

This was no ordinary threat. Instead of gulping and looking scared, Syaoran put on his calm façade and nodded his head, "I understand, Your Majesty."

Yukito pulled him close to Sakura's bed. He muttered a few incantations while pointing his staff at the two of them. Toya had stepped back and was glaring ferociously at Syaoran; he wisely chose to not look at the King.

A glowing circle appeared around Sakura and Syaoran. Yukito muttered a few spells yet again, and the circle emitted a golden light that surrounded the two of them. Syaoran was unable to see Yukito because the light was too dense. But he heard Yukito say, "Syaoran, take Sakura in your arms. Quick!"

Syaoran immediately did as he was told. Sakura was surprisingly light in his arms, causing him to wonder whether she was losing her energy too.

"_The Princess is in the danger of dying."_

Syaoran shuddered at those words. He could hear Yukito's voice again. "Syaoran, listen to me." He had raised his voice so that he could be heard over the dense light. But his voice had its gentle tone that Syaoran was relieved to hear. "Do not fret over the Princess's condition; it will not do you any good. Concentrate on your mission, Syaoran. Prevent her from dying. Do you understand?"

He nodded his head firmly, though he knew Yukito could not see him. "I understand, Yukito-san. I will protect the Princess at all costs."

He could almost feel the relief and satisfaction emanating from the two men standing outside the circle. He heard Yukito's gentle murmur once more and realized that it was yet another incantation. "Farewell Syaoran; farewell Sakura-chan. I hope you get well soon."

Those words gently uttered and Toya's murmur was all that Syaoran heard before he was lifted off his feet and was rocked to sleep. He refused to let go of Sakura, and held her all the more tightly, but fell into a deep slumber.

Yukito and Toya stood side by side and watched as the golden light slowly vanished. When it had completely disappeared, there was no Sakura in the bed; Syaoran was gone too. Neither of them said a word, but Toya moved slowly toward the bed and buried his face in Sakura's blanket.

This was probably his way of showing his weakness and it was very unbecoming for a King, but at that moment, all that Yukito saw was his best friend mourning the departure of his baby sister.

"We did the right thing, right?" Toya's muffled question reached Yukito's ears clearly.

He smiled sadly and sat on the bed, patting Toya's shoulder. "Yes. We did the right thing."

"Where did you send them?"

"To a Powerful Witch."

"Is she any good?"

"She's the very best."

"Do you know her very well?"

This question made Yukito smile. "Your father knew her very well."

Toya looked up from the blanket. "She must be good then." He stared at the morning sky brightening as the sun shied away from a cloud, happy to be exposed. "Sakura, get well soon. I'll miss you, Monster."

* * *

HE FOUND HIMSELFleaning against the bark of a cherry tree while lying on one of its branches. Sakura was still in his arms and she showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. He slowly straightened and stared at the ground from about seven feet above it. There was green grass everywhere and a few apple trees here and there. Cherry trees were larger in number.

Syaoran debated whether he should just slide down the tree's trunk or slowly climb down. Climbing down was a bad option since he would need to use his hands and he had to hold onto Sakura. In the end, he decided to slide down the trunk, with his back against it.

He threw the ground below him a cautious look. All seemed quiet. Deciding that it was harmless to begin his descent to the ground now, he gripped Sakura tightly in his arms and stood up on the branch, hoping that it wouldn't break; it didn't.

He slid down the trunk of the tree, quite noisily. However, this did not wake Sakura up as he had expected it to. He let out a sigh of relief and stood in the shade of the tree, surveying his surroundings. There were a lot of trees planted at regular intervals. This was probably an orchard of some sort. He could only identify apple trees and cherry trees.

Right across from his stood an apple tree; he could vaguely make out two figures standing there. He sensed that both of them had noticed his arrival. He stepped cautiously out of the shade and looked around himself again, muttering, "Yukito-san, where have you sent us?"

He was now able to see the two people clearly. One of them was a lean, muscular man with silvery blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He seemed to have a cheerful disposition and looked completely relaxed despite the fact that there was an intruder. The other one was bulkier but muscular all the same, with spikey black hair and fiery red eyes.

Syaoran's eyes hardened as they travelled over the brunette's biceps. How hard would this guy hit?

He kept an eye on them but still looked about himself, hoping to find a way out of this place. He was careful not to look defiant, because, for all he knew, Yukito could have intended to have those two people welcome him. But they weren't exactly welcoming.

After a few minutes of absolute silence, the blond man stepped forward with one of his hands extended, while the other was slightly rubbing his head. "To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing two young people here?" he asked, with a huge smile.

Maybe they were his allies after all. Syaoran quickly dipped his head and said, "I apologize for causing you any trouble but my name is Syaoran; This is Princess Sakura."

"I'm Fai. It's a pleasure to meet you, Syaoran. It's no trouble at all."

Syaoran looked past Fai at the black-haired man who was distinctly frowning. His grumpy attitude was certainly unwelcoming. Syaoran didn't know why he was reminded of Toya all of a sudden. Fai caught Syaoran's look and said cheerfully, "Oh that's Kuro-pipi. He's a friend of mine."

This caused Kuro-_pipi _to turn a deep shade of red and erupt. "Shut up, Idiot!" he yelled, startling Syaoran while the "Idiot" remained perfectly unfazed. "It's _Ku-ro-ga-ne._" he said, through clenched teeth.

Syaoran glanced from Fai's cheerful face to Kurogane's grumpy one. _These two were like exact opposites. How do they ever manage to get along?_ Remembering his manners, Syaoran dipped his head once more and said, "It's nice to meet you too, Kurogane-san."

Kurogane stared at the brown-haired boy in front of him, who almost reached his neck. He seemed to have a pleasant demeanor, but Kurogane wasn't exactly sure of him. There was something in his eyes that made him cautious; something fierce.

Unconsciously, he averted his gaze to the girl he was holding. She was pale and small, and Kurogane noticed how tightly the boy gripped her. _He seems very protective of her. _He concluded. Well maybe that explained the fierceness in his eyes. Maybe the boy wouldn't think twice about hurting someone who would hurt the girl.

Whatever may be the reason, Kurogane decided that he was going to keep an eye on the boy. He really did think that the "Mage" was too idiotic to get intimate with the boy already. Kurogane kept his distance while Fai chattered away.

"What's up with the Princess?" Fai asked, looking curiously at Sakura.

Syaoran hesitated for a moment, wondering what he should say. "I don't know." Well that wasn't exactly a lie.

Fai caught the boy's eye for a second before breaking into a grin. "Well I hope she gets all right soon. Now then, Syaoran, tell us why you are here. You are too young to be permitted inside this college."

"This is a college?" Syaoran asked, surprised, looking around himself for the hundredth time. It certainly didn't seem like a college to him.

"This is an orchard. Right over there, is the college." Fai pointed to his right. Syaoran squinted in that direction and was able to make out a white building. "Kuro-cchi and I have our lunch right here."

Kurogane snarled, but said nothing. He was tired of correcting Fai and had decided that he would just have to live with that Mage 'shortening his name and tagging it with horrible honorifics.' He stole another glance at Sakura, but did not bother to ask Syaoran what had happened to her like Fai had.

Syaoran felt himself frowning a little. The two men in front of him neither seemed like they knew him nor were they completely hostile. He was confused. Was this the place Yukito-san had referred to when he had said "there"? If it was, it really didn't seem like the place that would help Sakura in any way. It did seem pleasant though.

Fai observed the boy closely, while he frowned and debated something in his mind. Fai knew that he was no ordinary boy – he hadn't _happened_ to come across this place. And the girl he was holding was certainly very ill. It was evident by the paleness of her skin. Syaoran was either hiding something from him or he just wasn't sure of himself.

Well, Fai hadn't expected him to pour out his secrets to him. But it would have been better if he could have told him why he was here in the first place. People didn't fall off cherry trees with girls in their arms if they didn't have a certain purpose.

Fai felt a sudden feeling of completion. It was as though both he and Kurogane had been waiting for Syaoran and Sakura to arrive here. For once, Fai wasn't really sure why he was feeling this way. He was certain that he had neither seen Sakura nor Syaoran before in his life. They were quite the new-comers. Then, why did they seem familiar.

Beside him, a similar feeling was arousing inside Kurogane. He groaned, wondering why he was feeling like his eagerness to see those two kids was finally quenched. For god's sake, he didn't even know those two children! He tensed, wondering whether the boy was inducing this feeling inside him. Maybe he did possess Magick Powers.

Syaoran read the guarded expressions in both the men's faces. Even Fai seemed to have lost his cheerfulness as he scrutinized Syaoran once again. He fought the urge to take a step back. Why was he suddenly feeling wary of the two men? And why was the wariness joined by a feeling of utter satisfaction?

Above them, the bright sky had darkened during their conversation. It was now a deep grey, with clouds moving faster than usual. This indicated that a storm was about to occur; the sky lit up for a second, the lightning cutting it to pieces, before it disappeared and was replaced by a deep boom of thunder.

All of them looked up at the sky and were surprised to see the sudden change that had taken place.

"There's a storm coming up." Kurogane muttered, stating the obvious.

"We better get inside the college." Fai said, tearing his eyes from the sky. He looked over at Syaoran. "I think you should come inside too."

Before Syaoran could respond, another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and the clouds cackled more loudly than ever. None of them were able to tear their eyes away from the sky as they watched the clouds part right above their heads and give way to a white light that engulfed all of them.

It took them all a moment to realize what had happened.

"What the hell is happening?" Kurogane yelled, reluctant to pass his hand through the white light that was surrounding them.

Syaoran had had a similar experience only a few hours ago and seemed slightly wiser than the others. "I think we're going to be transported somewhere else."

In flash, Kurogane was beside him, shaking his shoulder, "Did you do this then? What do you want, boy?"

"I didn't do this." Syaoran replied as calmly as he could while being roughly shaken by the tall man. "I've just gone through a similar experience."

"Let him go, Kuro-chan. I think he's telling the truth."

The two of them stared at each other for a long time. Finally, Kurogane let go of him and resumed his previous occupation of frowning and looking grumpy.

"Now, Syaoran," Fai said, gaining the brown-haired boy's attention. Syaoran noticed that his voice had regained some of its cheerfulness though his blue eyes were still wary. "Can you tell us where this is going to take us?"

Syaoran shook his head, no. "I have no idea, Fai-san. I'm just as confused and lost as you are."

Fai opened his mouth to say something when they were all thrown off their feet. Syaoran concentrated on keeping Sakura safe while both Fai and Kurogane struggled to get back on their feet; they weren't successful.

"Don't try to stand up." Syaoran called out, snaking one hand around Sakura's waist and the other on the base of her skull. He pulled her to him, trying to cover her, the best he could. "I don't think it's a good idea."

They listened to his advice and stopped struggling. The white light was still around them and it was very dense, so it was hard to see through it. Syaoran had a strange feeling of being borne in the air. He wondered whether they were all floating high in the sky. However, this time he wasn't rocked to sleep. It was also hard to have a conversation, so they all remained silent.

They didn't know how long they had been travelling, but after some time, they felt the solid ground beneath and gratefully got to their feet. As the white light cleared away, they heard a cool female voice say, "Welcome children, to the Space Time Witch's shop."

When the white light completely disappeared, they were greeted by the sight of a beautiful woman with long black hair and red eyes. She was tall and fair and was exceptionally beautiful. She smiled at them, as though she had been expecting them.

Syaoran had never seen her before in his whole life. Was _this _the place Yukito-san had intended to send him to? He looked past the Witch and found himself staring at a large door, grandly decorated. Was this the entrance to the shop the Witch was talking about? He looked at his companions and was not surprised to see Kurogane frowning again. Fai was smiling cheerfully, however.

"My name is Yuko Ichihara." The Witch stated. "You may, however, call me Yuko."

"Yuko Ichihara." Fai repeated, bowing low. "It's my great pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Syaoran bowed his head and looked back up again. "It's a great pleasure indeed." He murmured.

Kurogane was the only one to glare at her. She smiled serenely and stared at Sakura for a few moments. "I believe that is Princess Sakura."

Syaoran threw her a suspicious look before confirming her belief. "Yes."

"I will have to thank her one day. She has done me a great favor." Yuko looked tenderly at the girl before turning her attention back to the other men. Syaoran was greatly confused by her words and by the way she had looked at Sakura – it didn't seem like the Witch ever looked so tenderly at someone – but decided that this wasn't the right time to ask questions.

"I am quite aware of the fact that all of you are ignorant of the reason you're here." She said, looking at each of them in turns. They nodded their heads.

"Well children, it is time for you to enter my shop. You were sent here because all of you needed my help. You will be residing in my shop for some time." She turned her back to them and walked toward the grand door, beckoning them to follow her; they did so after a moment's hesitation.

Syaoran looked down at Sakura, wondering whether the drug would wear off soon. She showed no signs of waking up; he felt dejected. He focused his attention on Yuko. Will she be of any help to Sakura? Syaoran was dying to know. She did seem Powerful. Maybe she would find something to prevent Sakura from dying.

Fai had heard about the Witch of the Dimensions before and he was pretty curious to know why he had been transported here. Did he really need her help? Was he that desperate to find his twin brother? Was he tired of waiting for him? If he really had needed the Witch's help, why hadn't he been transported here a long time ago? Then he wouldn't have had to spend these last few months with Kuro-chan. He hoped to find the answers to his questions soon enough.

Kurogane stared suspiciously at Yuko's back. He didn't know how his mission to find what true strength is had suddenly ended up in a Witch's shop. To find what true strength, if all he had to do was to ask the Witch, then why had Princess Tomoyo made it sound like it was a very hard mission? Why had she said that this would probably have him going on for a few years? With these questions in mind, he silently trudged along with his companions.

The doors to the shop were opened by two young girls, who welcomed them all with the words, "Welcome, welcome! Welcome to Yuko's shop!"

They smiled in return – with the exception of Kurogane, who glared at them – and were soon seated in a bare room that had one or two good paintings. Syaoran refused to let go of Sakura and held her close to him while he knelt down on the ground. Fai sat down beside Syaoran while Kurogane leaned against a wall behind them.

Yuko joined them moments later and sat down facing them all.

The tension in the atmosphere increased abruptly. Yuko seemed to have sensed it, because she said, "Well well, it seems like all my children are very agitated."

"As I said earlier, each one of you present here – with the exception of Princess Sakura – needs my help with something. It would make things much easier, however, if you could voice them out loud right now."

"But of what help will you be to us?" Syaoran blurted out, unable to keep it to himself anymore. "How will you be able to help us?"

Her appearance suddenly seemed more radiant than ever. Syaoran had to admit that she was way too beautiful

She was inhumanly beautiful. "I will grant all of your wishes." Her smile was as mysterious as she was. "But in return, you will have to be ready to sacrifice your own lives – if destiny calls for it."

* * *

**Maybe that chapter was a little shorter than the previous one. But I took a lot of time to update it. I'm not sure how long I would take to update the next chapter. My vacation ends in about a week. ****Then I have school! Please review and tell me what you think about it.**


	4. Chapter 3

**OK, I know this is a very, very late update and I'm really sorry I didn't update sooner. I realised that I start too many stories at once and end up trying to sort things out – in vain. So I decided that I would take one step at a time – in the sense, I would finish one story before I continue with my next one. But see, I wanted to write something different for a change and so I decided to finish a chapter in Emotionless. I really hope you understand.**

**Replies to the reviews of the previous chapter:**

**Lone Kunoichi:** No, it's not too much to ask for a quick update. It's only to be expected. I would love to be a dedicated writer who can devote time for fanfiction every single day and still manage to work through her other responsibilities comfortably. Sadly, that's not likely to happen and I deeply apologise for not being able to update sooner. I will try my best to make my chapters pleasing though. Thank you for reviewing.

**Evanescences Angel:** I'm glad you seem to like my story. As for the changes in the story, well the cause for them will be revealed – sooner or later. Thank you for your review and your support. I really appreciate them.

* * *

**Emotionless**

**Chapter: 3**

IT WAS MERE coincidence, she was sure. But it was also what he had wanted.

She could see his wistful gaze – his deep blue eyes both pleading and sorrowful, she could feel the touch of the long, soft hair that fell past his shoulders and the warm breath that fell on her forehead, ruffling her hair slightly, and she could hear his gentle voice as he spoke those magical words with emotion.

"_Please open your eyes, Yuko...just once..."_

And it was all that was needed. Time froze.

She relived that memory – the one that would never be erased from her mind, the one that she held most dear amongst all the ones that she had of him. He had been her wish – the wish that was granted much to her happiness.

But like all wishes, it too, came with a price. Time.

He left her soon, moving on, while she stood frozen, unable to move and chance her death. It was not fear that kept her still but his words – his words that still held the powerful spell, which was yet to be broken. But she knew that it was nearing and she was not certain whether she was anticipating it or dreading it.

'It would all come to an end,' she told herself as she gazed at the mirror that evinced the events taking place at a certain world. She watched as the cheerful, yet enigmatic young man teased his grumpy friend. She watched those light-blue eyes that were alight with humour and yet held a dark secret. She gazed unsmilingly at those deep red eyes that looked upon the blond-haired man with false irritation – for Yuko knew better than anyone that he was actually starting to prefer it over everything else – and yet, they held an emotion akin to true anger.

'It would all come to an end when they realise their _real_ emotions,' the mirror erased the image of the two men, preparing to show her another one. 'and when they realise what they are truly destined to do.'

She turned away from the mirror as it struggled to capture the image that she wanted to see and flickered weakly, as though trying to say that it had given up. She stared at the ceiling, blowing out gently after sucking in the smoke from her pipe. Her red eyes followed the smoke-ring as it grew larger and larger until, finally, it mingled with the air and disappeared completely. Her mind skimmed through other memories, before she could stop it.

"_No…" the young girl sobbed. "No, this is unreal…we didn't—we never wished for this to happen!"_

_She surveyed the girl for a long while, her eyes full of an unreadable emotion that was seldom seen on her. "But I'm afraid, little one, that it cannot be helped."_

"_Oh but please!" The girl looked up at her, her striking green eyes brimming with tears. "You can help me! You're a Witch! You told me you are one."_

"_I can grant wishes only to those who can pay the price."_

"_Anything!" she both looked and sounded hopeful. "I can give you money—I can ask Onii-san. Or…I can give you food or a place to live! Anything that you want!"_

_For the first time during their conversation, she smiled. "I do not want those, child. I want something valuable – to compensate for saving the life of your little friend there."_

_The girl faltered, looking down at the still figure. "But-but…nothing's as valuable as his life!"_

"_However," the woman continued. "there is one thing that you could give in return that will satisfy me."_

"_Yes, anything! Please just save him!"_

_She leaned over, the tips of her black hair grazing the girl's shoulders. "I want…" she whispered the words into the child's ear._

_The girl looked shocked for a moment, but then she glanced once again at the lifeless form that she was clutching. The woman tried to ignore the wretched feeling fluttering in her chest. There was no other way the boy could be saved..._

_But the girl looked resolute. "You can have them."_

Her lips curled as the vivid pictures flashed through her mind's eye. She was a Witch, she reminded herself. And her purpose was to grant wishes to those who were ready to pay the price. The girl had been ready to pay the price in return for saving her friend's life. There was nothing more to it.

Nothing more.

But as she struggled to convince her heart, her crimson eyes fell on the multifaceted vase placed on the mantelpiece – it was an alibi to prove that her heart was right; her mind was not. She moved closer to the mantelpiece, her hand raised hesitantly, while the glint of the vase in the sunlight reflected in her eyes strangely, providing them with a surreal gleam.

It was a unique vase – not for its beauty alone, but also for what it held. The pale pink flower leaned lazily against the brim of its holder, its mere presence exuding a cheerfulness seldom felt in the room. Her hesitance lost, she fingered it lovingly, a wistful smile gracing her inhuman features. Cherry blossom it was called in a prominent language. But she preferred another name in a different tongue – _Sakura_. Sakura blossoms.

It was a beautiful name, so rightly suited for the exquisite flower. Her eyes grew hazy as she, once again, found herself sinking into another memory of him.

_It was their first meeting._

_She looked upon him without emotion as he offered her a gentle smile. The strange thudding of her heart was enough to alert her. This man was more than just gentle smiles and polite greetings. The caution in her eyes was perhaps too obvious for his smile grew gentler while he strove to look harmless._

"_I apologise for the intrusion." He bowed his head slightly. "I often come here; I did not know there was someone else who marvelled at the sight of the beauty so carelessly scattered here."_

_She made no reply, which was not uncommon, for she was known for her silence. But there was a different reason as to why she was held her peace. She could not think of anything to say, because she could not disagree._

"_Are you visiting?" He asked conversationally, his smile intact. "I do not think I have seen you before."_

_She rested her sharp eyes on him. "There are many..._events_ that we are all unaware of."_

"_That is quite true." He agreed. "But you see, I make it a habit to know all of my subjects."_

_She hid her surprise quickly. But not quickly enough. He caught the slight widening of her eyes before they resumed their usual cold facade. He chuckled to himself._

"_Clow Reed." She spoke his name with a familiarity that surprised him. There was something about her that intrigued him. He could not say, with certainty, that it was her cold demeanour or that it was the way she looked at him – with eyes that were knowledgeable._

"_It is a pleasure to meet you." He did not regret the words. "Will I be graced with the knowledge of your name?"_

"_Yuko Ichihara." She replied, her voice deep all of a sudden. She cast him a sidelong glance. "You can call me Yuko."_

_His smile widened. "Do you like Sakura blossoms, Yuko-san?"_

He was enigmatic. Although he smiled and laughed and behaved like a perfect gentleman, he was enigmatic. His eyes had twinkled with something more than just cheerfulness. His smile was more than just bright. His lips had spoken fewer words than the thoughts his mind held. She could discern that much during their first meeting.

He had proved to be a complicated mixture. Cleverness, cheerfulness, intelligence, honesty, kindness, and chivalry all put together. He was more than just the ruler of the Clow world. He was something much more magnificent and breath-taking that she still could not believe he had vanished. Forever.

She had not been Yuko Ichihara, the Space Time Witch, then. She had been Yuko Ichihara, a clever Witch. He had seen her for what she was the moment he laid his eyes on her – something that no one else had achieved. He could predict the future –a little. He ruled his land well. His people never died of dangerous illness, but they had their disputes. Even he could not stop them from being greedy and selfish occasionally. They were humans after all.

They had been happy together. _She _had been happier than she had ever been her entire life. But everything had to come to an end. Nothing was forever. Except for abstract things – emotions.

It had been a beautiful relationship. She regretted nothing.

But the beginning of the end – _her_ end, at least – was nearing. She dropped her hand from the vase, listening intently to the silence in the room. She would miss her abode. She would miss the comforting silence that emanated from her shop. She would miss everything in her shop – her customers, the strange antiques, and she would miss being a Witch.

She smiled as she heard voices outside.

"Watanuki is upset! Watnuki is upset!" Maru and Moro chorused.

"Mokona wants yakisoba!" A new voice piped in.

There was a third voice. "What? You just had breakfast! I'm not making you yakisoba!"

"But Mokona is hungry again." Yuko heard Mokona speak. It was Larg. Soel was probably still asleep. "Watanuki is being mean; Watanuki is starving Mokona."

"_Starving_ you?" Watanuki repeated incredulously. "I'm not starving you. I just made breakfast and you had three helpings of the pudding!"

"Oh yes." Mokona was chirpy again. "The pudding was nice. But Watanuki, Mokona wants yakisoba now! Yakisoba sounds...delicious!"

Yuko decided that it was time to join them. Sliding her door open, she surveyed the sight that greeted her. Maru and Moro were holding hands, watching the argument with dreamy smiles. Watanuki was sporting a large white apron while he stared at Mokona with angry blue eyes. Mokona on the other hand was hopping up and down, his thoughts already on the food.

"Yuko!" Mokona hopped on to her shoulder. "Watanuki won't cook me yakisoba!"

"I just cleaned the kitchen." Watanuki grit his teeth. "I am not going to cook you anything!"

"Watanuki, that's mean." Yuko chided him, thoroughly enjoying the look of frustration on his face. "Why don't you go cook us a traditional Japanese breakfast? I'm hungry too."

"Are you—who...how..._what _are you?" He spluttered, before stomping off in the direction of the kitchen, muttering something about 'crazy witches' and 'a black manju bun'.

"Watanuki don't forget the yakisoba!"Mokona called out after him.

And last of all, she would miss her companions, who brought her relief from work, a hiatus from sorrow, and solely existed to bicker, get angry, and make up. It was called life and Yuko enjoyed the bickering just as much as they secretly did.

* * *

YUKO STARED UP at the sky, her usual cheerful facade misplaced. A few feet away from her, Watanuki was sweeping the yard, the pile of dry leaves growing higher by the moment. He was unnaturally silent – there were no incoherent mutterings today. There were no childish arguments over breakfast, no grumbles about the menu, because—

-today was an auspicious day.

He threw her discreet glances occasionally, her imperturbable countenance harder than ever. He had never been good at gauging her expressions but her listless aura was unnerving. He wanted nothing more than to bolt – even the quotidian pursuit of the monsters seemed so normal all of a sudden.

Much to his surprise, she broke the uncomfortable silence sooner than he had expected. "It is time," she said, continuing to avoid his bemused gaze.

"For what?" He berated himself for the obvious nervousness in his tone.

"Watanuki..." she drawled, the way she usually did when she was preparing to give him advice, which often had equivocal meanings. He stood up a little straighter on instinct, and watched her intently. She was still staring at the dark sky. "Our guests have arrived, at last."

He almost turned around to verify the authenticity of her statement. It came as a slight surprise to find no one standing behind him. "What do you mean?"

The lightning cackled as the thunder boomed in fury. "Prepare the guest room. Our guests should not be displeased in the least."

His curiosity to know who the guests were was growing rapidly and she was doing nothing to slake it. He yielded to her orders without argument, knowing that whoever the visitors were, they were very important. He left her to her observation of the sky, his silent withdrawal going unnoticed.

The first raindrop landed on her finger and she smiled. The beginning of her end had finally begun.

She slowly retreated to the porch as the pitter-patter of the rain grew more obvious. The drops increased in size and fell heavily on the ground, finding home in small puddles. She did not know how long she stood watching the rain for time had never been her biggest concern. For her, it always stood still. Almost always.

If Watanuki had watched the rain along with her just as patiently as she had, he would have noticed that the sky was growing brighter with each lightning that struck. The rain reduced to a mild drizzle while the sky was so luminous that only Yuko, with her powers, could have managed to stare at it without squinting her eyes.

She stayed silent as the shapes across the white background grew more prominent. She watched as the figures gathered together and began their descent from the sky. Her smile widened into a smirk – something more suited to her disposition – as the solid forms descended down, eventually standing upright in her backyard.

She made no attempt to make her presence known. There was still time for that. The figures encased in the white mass were shimmering. She could name them all perfectly well without even having to look at them. They were four people who would decide her fate; four people who had been chosen by Fate itself; four people who would—

-it was time.

Yuko Ichihara stepped onto the marshy land, her dark cloak grazing the grass blades. "Welcome children, to the Space Time Witch's shop." She studied them through her unnatural eyes, a small smile apparent on her pale face. "My name is Yuko Ichihara. You may, however, call me Yuko."

She took care to keep her voice even, her eyes trained on their faces, and her posture straight and dignified. They were no ordinary visitors and were far more ignorant of her powers than the usual customers – in a way, at least. She watched calmly as they looked around themselves, apparently bemused by their surroundings.

She resisted the urge to smirk when three pairs of eyes – each a different colour – landed on her countenance, suspicion and bewilderment clearly etched in all of them. However, they recovered from their surprise soon enough and murmured a greeting in return – all except the gruff ninja, who refused to let his guard down – well, she expected that much.

But she gazed wistfully at the young girl who was unconscious. She could not help the warmth that filled her as she let her eyes wander over the girl's still face. She knew what lay behind those heavy lids – a pair of emerald-green eyes that were easily the most beautiful pair of eyes she had ever seen. She longed to stroke her fair hair, kiss those pale cheeks, and hear the voice that had once been sweet and cheerful.

She knew her wishes would not be fulfilled.

She led them into the shop, the silence heavy with trepidation as they tentatively followed one by one. She hardly noticed Maru and Moro's sudden presence as they echoed her greeting in their husky voices, "Welcome, welcome! Welcome to Yuko's shop!"

It was time to reveal a part of the truth. Their questions were direct - they simply wished to know why they were transported here, and what she could possibly do to help them.

She smiled at the last question. "I will grant all of your wishes. But in return, you will have to be ready to sacrifice your own lives – if destiny calls for it."

* * *

EVERYTHING WAS QUIET in the room, as Yuko's words hovered over them, trying to penetrate their uncomprehending minds. It did not fall short of the capability of a powerful Witch, but hearing her confirmation, all the same, was not believable. And the phrase 'sacrifice your own lives' certainly did not help in the lightening of the gloom that presided over the occupants of the room.

Fai was the first one to regain his composure. "My wish fulfilled would be of no use if I were not alive to experience it."

Yuko rested her eyes on him, her face still wearing the mysterious smile. "A very important concept in life that humans often tend to forget is that there are worse things than death." Her voice was a mere whisper but she spoke clearly. "However, it so happens that fortunately – or unfortunately – nobody here has to sacrifice their lives to have their wishes fulfilled."

The tension in the air was so thick that it could be sliced down with a knife. Yuko's final words did not have the intended effect upon Syaoran and the others. None of them seemed to relax even a little on hearing the calm assurance.

Surprisingly, it was Kurogane who spoke next. "It does not matter. Just show us what you can do."

"My Powers are not to be taken lightly." There was a hint of graveness in her tone. "Tell me what you truly wish for and I will try my best to grant it."

Silence. Then, "I wish to go back to my own world." Kurogane's voice was surprisingly tender. He did not meet Yuko's keen gaze as he spoke those words. Kurogane was not about to express how many sleepless nights he had spent imagining himself back in his home land with Princess Tomoyo at his side.

"Were you not transported here for a different cause? Does this imply you have given up?"

Her indolent tone combined with her smug smile grated against Kurogane's ears. He knew he had to speak – had to give her the answer just so the wretched silence would not stretch longer than it already had. "It implies nothing but the fact that I believe this is anything but a quest."

"Ah...does that not mean that you have lost, Kurogane-san? Your denial says it all."

The ninja suppressed the anger that was rapidly taking control of his mind with great difficulty. As much as he wished to strangle the Witch right there, he knew that losing his composure would only produce disastrous results. He tried to fight the strong gaze that she held him in and to his immense surprise, she looked away quite suddenly.

"Very well." She turned her attention towards Fai. "What would be your wish?"

Fai did not reply at once. He gazed glassy-eyes at Yuko his mind recollecting the parting words between his twin and himself. _Fai is still alive. He will return. He promised. _But as the words ran through his mind, Fai found the images of his twin's anxious face intercepted by Kurogane's annoyed one.

He understood what his heart was trying to imply – that he did not wish to leave the rough-mannered ninja either. He had fallen into the very trap he had wished to overcome – the very trap he had promised himself he would not fall victim to. At the moment, he was torn between two wishes and he did not know what he truly desired.

Yuko's unwavering gaze was enough to show him that she was well-acquainted with his dilemma. He saw the decision in her eyes before he made it himself. His twin was not aware of his whereabouts. Even if—

Fai stopped himself for a moment and continued his musings.

_Although, _the real Fai had managed to escape from their world there was no actual proof that he knew where the imposter Fai was. Yui could not afford to stay in one world, could not idle away time while Fai might be in need of great help. He had to go in search of him and there was only one way he could travel through worlds.

He looked back at Yuko before realising that he had directed his gaze away from her while he had pondered. "I wish to travel through worlds – other than my own." He could not help adding the last part because whatever the case may be, Yui did not want to return to his own world – the reminder of what his life had been until two months ago. Moreover, it had most probably already vanished.

The smile fought its way back to her lips – only this time, they were more kindly than mysterious, as though she approved of his decision. She had barely even rested her eyes on Syaoran when he began to speak at once, "My wish is to save the Princess who is in the danger of dying. I would give anything in return for her good health – anything at all!" the anguish and desperation in his voice softened the expression on Yuko's face considerably as she looked at the pale figure that Syaoran was still refusing to let go.

"All of your wishes can be granted." The group remained unresponsive. By now, they had grown slightly accustomed to Yuko's ways. "However, it cannot be accomplished unless you give up what I ask of you."

Kurogane looked grumpy; Fai was slowly regaining his cheerful disposition; Syaoran's face was full of determination. All of them seemed prepared to make the sacrifices they were required to in order to attain what they deeply wished for.

"Kurogane, the price you have to pay is your sword." Yuko's eyes lingered on the weapon. For a moment, he looked as though he wanted to protest but then his face grew resigned and he silently handed over the sword. But anybody could notice the clenching of his fists and the gritting of his teeth as he retired to the farthest corner of the room.

"Fai..." Yuko paused as though she was deliberating something. With sudden insight, Fai realised that she might know his real identity. "I require you to give up the tattoo that adorns your back."

He could not say he had not been expecting this. He smiled nonetheless, "I suppose nothing else would suffice?"

She merely smiled back. She raised her hand and looked at him inquiringly. He nodded his head, granting her the permission to take away something that was very important to him. His back grew warm as the tattoo rose from his body and vanished. The weight of his shoulders seemed to bear down upon him all of a sudden. He did not notice Kurogane watching him with an expression of curiosity and detachment. Conflicting emotions.

"And Syaoran," Syaoran waited for his return, the anxiety obstructing him from thinking clearly. "I want your left eye in return."

"My left eye?" His surprise had been so great that he forgot to hide it.

"Yes." Yuko raised her hand again and Syaoran nodded, bracing himself for the forthcoming pain. But Yuko did not rip off his left eye. In fact, he felt no pain at all – just mild warmth – and suddenly, he felt like he had placed a hand over his left eye and he could no longer see through it.

For some strange reason, Syaoran felt that the sacrifice on his part had been much easier than the others. But he reminded himself that he should be thankful. Perhaps losing his left eye would weaken him against battle. That would definitely mean there was nothing to be grateful about.

There was utter silence in the room for a moment. Then, Yuko rose to her feet. "It is time to grant your wishes."

* * *

**This is inarguably the shortest chapter so far. And probably the most slow-moving. I apologise for the inconvenience. Reviews are always appreciated.**

**Notes on a few difficult terms:**

_**Yakisoba**__: Yakisoba is a fried noodle dish._

_**Traditional Japanese breakfast**__: A traditional Japanese breakfast consists of a piece of grilled or dried fish, miso soup, pickles and a bowl of rice (sometimes mixed with raw egg and soy sauce)._


	5. Chapter 4

**Once again, I apologise for the late update. I'm finally on vacation, which is probably why I even managed to finish this chapter. I hope you have a nice read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TRC.**

**Special thanks to my beta-reader!**

**Replies to the reviews of the previous chapter:**

**HappyHam: **See, I've always thought of this as a site where you imagine how you would have liked the story to go if you had been able to control it. Well, that's what I've always wanted to do. I've always wanted to rewrite the anime plot. But ideas pop in now and then and I'm left writing a completely different story. Emotionless is the only one so far that actually follows the plot at least slightly. I shouldn't make promises though; it's bound to take its own course soon enough. Thank you for reviewing (and maybe my answer is more than what you wanted). I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Emotionless**

**Chapter 4**

IN THE COUNTRY OF SERESU,everything was falling apart. The trees that were once the home of a thousand harmless beings were now deprived of their denizens as they struggled to stay rooted to the ground. The wind, that usually provided a hiatus from the sweltering heat with its gentle arms, was now raging fiercely having abandoned its usual demeanour altogether. Domestic animals, having been set loose unintentionally, were going berserk, leaping about noisily in fright as they rushed to their former places of shelter, only to realise at the very last moment that their homes were also destroyed. Huts were strewn on the ground like dry leaves on an autumn morning. _Their_ occupants were nowhere to be found, which was oddly conspicuous.

The only element of nature that had not shed its usual disposition was the sky, which was a serene blue – lovely to look at and appreciate when one's mind is calm and clear. But it provided for a contrasting picture, when set against such a scene of distress and grief.

Closer to the forest where the trees were putting up a brave fight, a young man stood watching a mass of black substance keeping him company. Fai watched as his younger - by fourteen minutes – brother, Yui, entered the black mass with an expression close to apprehension on his face. The promise he had made just moments ago lingered in his mind instigating an uneasy feeling to form somewhere around his mid-navel. Fai never lied to his twin because he was the only one in the world who still cared about him - the only person who was glad that he existed. Between the two, Fai had obviously taken up the role of the protective brother.

They had become orphans even before they could walk or talk and had been shunned by all families for their parents had never been popular. Knowing no one but themselves, they had vested all the vestiges of love and affection that had persisted in them - in spite of having been neglected at the tender age of ten months - in each other. Finding solace in the presence of another human soul that had also experienced the dregs of the society they had grown up in, these emotions had increased manifold until Fai and Yui were inseparable which was as well because no one really cared enough to acknowledge them - except for one person.

The thick black mass enclosed the last person Fai cared about and for a moment, he had to restrain the impulse to pull his brother out of those black tendrils that slowly concealed the similar blond hair and blue eyes from his view. Fai might not be the strongest person in the world, but he was strong enough not to let the momentary heart-wrenching feeling be the death of his brother. As Yui closed his eyes in deep slumber, Fai turned his back to the black cocoon and just in time too, because a fire ball was heading straight for him. Diving away from its path, he hid behind a huge rock that was yet to be destroyed. The black mass that he had conjured had vanished without a trace and once again, Fai recalled the promise.

_"Fai, will you come for me?"_

_A little pause, hesitation being the cause. Then, "Yes."_

_"Promise?"_

_"I promise."_

Fai could not understand what had driven him to make a promise with such certainty. Perhaps in his desperation to send Yui away, he had resorted to lying just so Yui would be safe and happy. But Fai never lied to Yui. Was there some part of him then - some inner conscience - that believed he would be able to save himself even as his world fell apart before his own eyes? No, Fai could not decipher what it was but he decided to call it a hunch. A hunch that he would somehow find peace amongst the chaos.

Yui was never told the cause for such destruction. Although Fai was well-informed of what was taking place, he had been cautious enough to keep Yui from uncovering the truth. Their world was not going through the stages of a natural death; their world was witnessing the immense wrath of its master, who even in his induced sleep was powerful enough to exude such terror in his semi-conscious state. With a sinking feeling, Fai realised that he had completely forgotten about Chi who was trapped in the king's tower due to his command. Time, unaffected by the changes taking place in different worlds, was continuing in its own pace - which for Fai, was as quick as a horse's gallop.

The king's tower was five miles away, situated in the exact centre of Seresu. Amidst the fire that was devouring everything it possibly can, reaching the tower by foot was dangerous but there was no other option. Pain was not new and preparing to meet the worst, Fai crouched in his position, estimating the time interval between the fireballs. Realising that taking chances was the only way he could survive, Fai began to run as fast as he could in the direction of the tower, keeping his head lowered. He brought his hands together while muttering an incantation. Upon reaching it, he jumped - almost six feet into the air, thanks to his magical powers - over the ring of fire that almost completely encircled an area of four thousand square yards.

If he had believed that the conditions would be better outside the ring, he would not have come across a greater contradiction in his life. The fireballs began to charge with increased frequency that he began to appreciate his quick reasoning to keep his face lowered. Yui had always excelled in acrobatics of all kinds but was less athletic compared to Fai. The latter considered running to be his forte.

However, the exhaustion from fighting, trying to keep Yui safe, and using his magical powers too often in a day was gradually gaining ground, almost overcoming his determination to keep running. But Chi's serene face resurfaced in his mind and he began to quicken his pace with renewed vigour.

When he finally reached the tower, he was out of breath and sweating - but he attributed the latter less to the fact that he had been running than to the fact that he was about to enter a place he had always feared and loathed. He had spent almost three years of his life locked in that very tower along with Yui. Two years ago, he had freed the two of them and the king had paid for his betrayal by being put to sleep in his own prison - or that was what Fai considered the tower to be.

Now, two years later, Fai could still recall each and every aspect of the tower. Not permitting himself to relive dark memories, he stepped inside the tower and at once cowered at the sight that greeted him.

Corpses. Everywhere.

The stench of blood in the bleak air was unmistakable. Fai willed himself to look at the lifeless forms in front of him and sure enough, there was dried blood that had oozed out of their chests. They had all been murdered in the same way - a knife through their heart. His thoughts immediately returned to Chi, in the highest part of the tower, perhaps watching the king stirring awake from his slumber.

Swallowing the bile that filled his mouth at the grotesque sight, Fai stepped on the corpses with no alternative and made his way higher up the depressing tower. The corpses seemed to increase in number as he climbed higher and higher - it was almost as if he was using them to reach Chi and the thought disgusted him even more.

After a few more minutes of prolonged agony, Fai was at the damned door. There was only that one door that separated him from Chi and the king. His movements slow, he reached for the doorknob and almost laughed out loud in hysteria at the way things were unfolding themselves - just one single turn of the door-knob and he would meet with the very person he had tried so hard to defeat. But life had its own interpretation of excitement and was displaying its opinion on the matter clearly at the very moment.

The click of the doorknob as he opened the door echoed in his mind. Wiping his face clean of all emotions that had occupied it earlier, he put on a mask that betrayed nothing.

Chi was hovering over the tomb-like structure, her wings beating furiously to give off the impression that she was distressed to compensate for the lack of anxiety or worry on her face. Fai had created her, based on what he imagined his mother would look like. Having lost her when he was barely a year old, he could not remember anything about her except for her long blond hair. Chi was yet to fully comprehend human emotions and interpret them for she was just a little over two years old. On the basis of appearances however, she looked old enough to be a teenager.

There was a mild glow around the structure and Fai immediately understood what it stood for. The king had entirely overcome Fai's soporific powers and was conscious enough to move. "His eyes are open, master." Chi stated unnecessarily, to Fai.

Fai watched the glow without actually looking at it, images flashing rapidly past his mind: Yui's smile, Yui's bright blue eyes, Yui's laughing face. Then, more gruesome pictures: bones strewn on the floor, the amputated arm of a man, a pool of blood sloshing as it hit against his legs, Yui's terrified face at that particular sight as he watched from above. His piercing scream echoed in Fai's ears, forcing him to place his hands over his ears and screw his eyes shut. But the screaming would not stop and Fai realised that it was coming from within him - something that his hands could not muffle.

With tremendous force of the mind, Fai opened his eyes to find Chi standing beside him, her hand raised as though she was about to place it on his shoulder. The sight of her peaceful, charming face soothed him because he connected her with his mother. Wrapping a hand around her waist, he drew her closer to his side, rejoicing in the feel of her petite figure against his own because it reminded him that he was not alone, not yet.

Chi did not say anything and instead, she mimicked his actions - wrapping her own hands around his waist - and rested her head against his chest. This gesture amazed Fai and provided him with new strength and courage. Breaking away from the embrace, he kissed her forehead and crouched to her level.

She looked at him mutely, awaiting his orders as he stroked her long blond hair. "Chi, I want you to leave the tower as soon as you can and run for safety."

"But I am to stay by master's side."

Her reply surprised Fai because Chi never protested. For a moment, he thought he saw an emotion flicker in her eyes. 'Was Chi beginning to feel human emotions too?'

"No." He said gently. "That would be unwise. This is dangerous, Chi, and I want you to get away."

He could still read the hesitation in her eyes, marvelling at the way her eyes dimmed significantly and pondering why he had never noticed the luminosity they had originally held. He struggled internally, searching for the words that would convince her. He could give her numerous lies and she would not question him, but he had always regarded her as a human being – in spite of her inability to display emotions until recently – and he had no intention of lying to her now, especially at such a crucial time. Considering what he had put her through, he knew he owed her the truth.

"Perhaps this will be a tough battle," he paused. No, it would _definitely _be a tough battle; he would be extremely lucky if he survived it. "but I do not intend to pull you into it."

Chi did not protest this time, but she refused to meet his gaze. Fai bit back a sigh, "Be safe. Leave this world. Go now." He wanted to add more; he wanted to tell her to find Yui and tell him his older brother was all right.

She bowed her head and looked at him for a second as though she understood what he was thinking with the barest hint of a smile. But she was gone in a moment, her hurried footsteps carried away by the wind. Fai watched the door close behind her and vaguely wondered if she would have to necessitate the help of the frozen gory forms to exit the tower like he had had to. Reasoning hit him a moment later and he remembered that she could fly. Perhaps she would only have to stare them in the face.

Stranding straighter and taller, Fai mentally prepared himself for the forthcoming battle. He smiled wryly as he watched the glow thicken into something more solid, once again perceptive enough to appreciate the role fate had played in his life. The memory he recalled at the thought was inevitable.

_He was standing facing the sunset, his back to him. Fai hesitated, uncertain of how he should approach him – or if he should approach him at all._

_He sensed his presence though and turned to him, a welcoming smile on his face. He beckoned Fai to join him next to the window and he did so readily. He had never really observed the sunset with such clarity of mind. The sun, at the end of his reign for the day, had unleashed the immensity of his powers, which was clearly visible in the crimson red of the sky._

"_Beautiful, is it not?" he asked, observing Fai closely. Fai nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from the sky, regret filling his heart for never before appreciating the beauty that nature could display – has always displayed. The king continued smiling, "And it is this very beauty that we strive to destroy – unable to accept the existence of something more profound and more magnificent than us."_

"_And thus our self-absorption continues..." Fai said quietly._

"_We are what we are. We cannot change."_

"_But we can." Fai never disagreed with the king, never felt the need to justify his actions. "There are always exceptions."_

_The king raised an eyebrow in amusement and Fai felt profound relief at the gesture. He was not offended. "Such as?"_

"_Such as yourself." He watched as the king's eyes widened slightly with an unreadable emotion. It unsettled Fai that he could not understand what the king was thinking or feeling but he comforted himself with the smile that he offered in return, ignoring the fact that it was not the bright one that he usually instigated._

That was the first time that the king had stumbled, had slightly seemed vulnerable in spite of – what was later revealed to be – the facade he had mastered.

Fai's expression darkened as the smile resurfaced in his mind. Oh how gullible he had been then! He could hardly look at himself in the mirror for days after the truth was finally revealed. Filled with hatred – mostly directed at himself for his naivety – he had almost completely lost the will to live and would have readily killed himself if it had not been for Yui who had suffered along with Fai for the mistake Fai had committed. He never spoke a word against his older brother, bearing the pain patiently. But Fai could not watch him pay for something he was not responsible. Thus, for Yui's sake, he had pieced their lives back together – back to when they had had no one but themselves.

It had not escaped Fai's notice that Yui was a lot more perceptive than he had given him credit for. Yui had never hoped to outshine his brother because he could not inflict such humiliation – even if it was insignificant and unintentional – on someone who had hid his own pain in order to fight Yui's. But Fai knew that Yui could have outshone him in almost everything he did. He smiled tenderly at the thought of his cheerful younger brother, wondering where he was now.

'Somewhere safe,' he reminded himself as he unwillingly focused his gaze on the tomb-like structure. Yui was now out of the danger at hand – out of the only danger that they had known and beheld with tremendous fear until two years ago. The fear had not completely vanished when the king was put to sleep but peace had reined their lives for so many days that the memory of such terror was pushed to the back of their mind.

It had returned now with the same – if not more – ferocity. And he would be alone when he would have to face it.

Anguish suddenly threatened to break through the courage he had slowly mustered throughout the day. The absence of Yui's presence by his side was more prominent than ever before. But Fai willed himself to fight back the loneliness, the blind fear that was very close to tearing out through his flesh and blood and exposing his weakness.

The glow was now a thick fog and squinting his eyes, Fai could barely make out the movements of the king as he sat up from his supposed bed, which was in reality a pool of a magical herb. Fear gripped his insides as the fog cleared away and evinced the presence of the king as his unwavering gaze rested on Fai.

Frozen in place, Fai observed the long, thick black hair that fell down to his waist, the pale skin contrasting greatly with the deep colour. Fai was mesmerized by how beautiful the king looked. Two years had not been enough to erase the memories that Fai treasured and hated at the same time but every time that he laid his eyes on the king, his beauty took his breath away.

His captivating beauty; his misleading beauty.

And just as suddenly, Fai snapped out of the spell, and finally looked into the king's eyes.

King Ashura's eyes burned with a cold fury that only Fai could comprehend.

* * *

KING ASHURAsat statue-like on the rim of his sepulchre, looking like a masterpiece that every talented artist strives to create but only geniuses ultimately succeed in crafting. The purple robe that had been tied carelessly around him, hung loose near his shoulders, threatening to give way altogether to expose the milky-white region of his chest. Somehow, the casual piece of clothing only augmented to the perfection of the work of art, instead of ruining it with its messy and wrinkled appearance.

While his beauty could be compared to a _magnum opus,_ his demeanour was one of a lifeless piece of art in every sense – his posture was too stiff and his eyes were like hard but beautiful gems that in actuality looked as though they really were carved in stone. However, even the keenest of observers overlooked such simple but crucial details.

But not Fai.

Dazzling though the king was – managing to look like a God (if Gods could be considered the most beautiful entities of all) even in a plain robe – Fai found himself trapped in place not because of his beauty but because of his cold gaze. He could feel the need to blink, the corner of his eyes prickling with tears, but was unable to do so, frozen in place like a deer caught in a car's headlights. His heartbeat accelerated and unbidden, he started to pant, completely forgetting his initial plan to look composed.

The ends of those thin lips twisted in a furtive smile, the movement coming across as sudden after almost an eternity of stillness. Fai felt more flustered than ever before, annoyance pooling in his stomach at the king's reaction. He waited, as patiently as he could when facing death, determined not to invite trouble; not to allow his mouth to reveal more than his actions had.

The smile stretched into a broader one, instigated by playfulness and the king yawned uncharacteristically, the ends of his canines as sharp as a cat's. He broke the silence the next instant – his tone lazy and uninterested and his words, drawled. "Which twin are you?"

Each word hit Fai like slap. Thoughts of Yui entirely vanished, to be replaced by a blinding rage, incomparable to the one he'd felt at himself years ago, when news of the betrayal had first reached him. The king could not remember him. Everything about their acquaintance had been a lie, except for the treachery, which was proving to be real in its entirety. His teeth grazed his lower lip as he contained himself. He had to prove that he had not cared either; he had to prove that he had long forgotten the memories he had of the king. He had to prove that he had been just as superficial about their relationship as the king had been. "Why don't you find out?" He asked, careful enough to sound calm and spiteful at the same time.

A low chuckle escaped from the king. His eyes never leaving Fai's, he stood up from the sepulchre and slowly sauntered to where Fai stood, amazed by the king's action – so amazed that he almost unconsciously took a step back. Almost, but not quite. He caught himself just at the right time.

The smile still had not left Ashura-o's face as he came to stop an inch away from Fai. The young man could almost feel the heat radiating from his former mentor's chest. His cheeks flushed as the king's intoxicating scent filled his nostrils. He longed to take a deep breath and drown himself in the fragrance, something he had sorely missed in all those years. He clenched his fists, feeling both anger and confusion at the turn of events. He had expected Ashura-o to attack him in the first instance, considering the magnitude of his fury. Instead, the king had resorted to make his move as slowly as possible. From the corner of his mind, a question pushed its way to the surface: Was Ashura-o playing with him? Fai ventured to glance at his face. Sure enough, the playful smile was still present. The question received a positive answer.

But _why _was Ashura doing this? Did he want to prolong the agony he had decided to put Fai through? Perhaps he—

All the questions were suppressed as, in a single movement, the king pulled Fai towards him and buried his nose in the white-blond hair. Fai's eyes grew to the size of saucers and his mouth set free an audible gasp at the heat warming the top of his head. Ashura-o's breathing continued at a steady pace, unaltered by his own mischievous action and Fai's unheeded reaction to it. A deep breath and then-"Of course...Fai D. Flowright. How could I possibly forget? Only you—"

Fai wrenched himself free from Ashura's grip and glared at the king, his lips pressed into a thin line, a gesture indicating his unspoken wrath. "His Majesty is surprisingly childish to have resorted to such despicable tricks to get what he wants."

The smile turned cynical. "Despicable, did you say? You have indeed changed." He whirled away from Fai and the latter imagined his cloak swishing behind him. The robe, although not a hindrance to his beauty, certainly did not help to enhance his magnificence. "The Fai I knew enjoyed such amorous acts."

"The Fai you knew believed every word your polluted tongue mastered and showered upon him." Fai bit out. He stared at the king's turned back. "The Fai you knew is no more."

A slight inclination of his head and Ashura-o was facing him again. "That Fai vanished when you caught me at a vulnerable moment and put me to sleep." Here the eyes blazed, a forewarning of what was soon to be inflicted upon him. "He could not exist in a place where the person he loved and worshipped had no part to play."

The last part was another jab at his own naivety and Fai did not bother to check the anger rising within him. "He was a _fool_." He lashed out. "He was a fool to have been blind-so blind that he put someone close to him in danger."

The king took a step towards him. Outside, the ruckus continued. "But _this _Fai. . .this Fai, standing before me with a touch of defiance in his eyes, he was sensible enough to send those whom he loves to safety."

"I cannot commit the same mistakes I committed years ago." Fai's voice was now a gentle whisper and he completely missed the emotion that flickered across those stone-cold eyes. He was far away, once again thinking of Yui. "I would be more of a fool then."

"You are _still _a fool." The harsh tone startled Fai who stared at the king with a confused expression on his face. "You are a fool to have come here and to think you stand a chance against me. You were fortunate once, boy. _I _do not commit the same mistake twice either."

The confusion cleared and Fai straightened. The king was finally starting to act on his first and foremost purpose to have woken up: to kill Fai. The hysteria was once again building up inside of him. What Fai could not understand was why the king looked so murderous all of a sudden. What had he said that seemed to have struck a nerve? Nevertheless, it had reminded the king of what he had initially intended to do. The cause did not matter anymore. Its consequence was consuming enough of his attention. "You're right." He mumbled, stopping the king mid-step. "I'm still a fool to have thought you would remember all those times spent in carefree innocence and child-like naivety." He crouched in a fighting stance, ignoring the tears collecting at the corner of his eyes. "I'd rather die fighting than have you lie to me for a lifetime."

The tears were flowing freely now and Fai sniffed angrily. Now was not the time to get emotional. A part of him told him to compose himself but his other part had given up altogether and was releasing the pent-up frustration and hurt at having once again been foolish enough to have hoped that the king had perhaps, not lied to him after all.

Ashura-o watched those glistening tears race down Fai's cheeks as though fascinated by their presence. His purpose momentarily forgotten, he involuntarily recalled all those happy memories that time had not had enough power to vanquish. Mindlessly, he advanced to where Fai stood, wiping the tears.

He read the surprise in his eyes and then the wariness that they assumed. He watched those blue eyes that he had always loved watching but had told himself numerous times that he was only giving them the attention he was obliged to give; he watched those thin lips that he had wont to kiss so often before and had told himself that the happiness coursing through his veins was only pretence; he observed the thick strands of the blond hair that he had stroked and fingered lovingly so many times and had told himself that the joy that arose at the act was really just the result of a habit he had been forced to adopt; he stared at the pale skin that he had caressed years ago, never forgetting the way it felt against his own hand and had told himself that the fervent wish to caress it forever evolved, not because of genuine desire but due to underlying, diabolic intentions; he smelled the scent that he could identify anywhere and had told himself that he was only pretending to be greedy for it; and at last, he remembered all those loving words spoken in whispers that had haunted his dreams and had told himself that he only spoke them to satisfy the simple boy.

The simple, benevolent and beautiful boy.

Fai stood still, staring up at the king, too scared and overpowered to move. He gazed into the golden eyes, reading in them an unfamiliar emotion – an emotion unfamiliar yet well-known. It was hardly becoming on the face of such a majestic and cold-hearted king but Fai begged to differ. It was an emotion that brought life to his eyes and an unconscious half-smile to his lips. It was an emotion that made him look picturesque and more beautiful than ever before and Fai loved him so.

The lump forming in his throat impeded his sense of speech for a moment. With his heart thudding loudly in his ears, he opened his mouth to speak; to ask him the question he had longed to ask ever since the incident two years ago.

_The tower was truly a sight to behold. Its dark interiors were menacing indeed as Fai climbed higher and higher to where Yui was, unconscious. "Wait for me, Yui. . .I promise I'll put an end to this!"_

_There was no answer and Fai quickened his ascent frantically, frightened out of his wits. He could not cause Yui harm because of a mistake he had made. It was his innocence that had brought them to this state and he was not going to let Yui suffer for it. He finally reached the door that led to king's room. Without waiting to think – because he was afraid that his dwindling courage would betray him forever – he opened the door and stepped inside._

"_My sincere apologies." The familiar voice held a touch of mockery that Fai had never heard before. "I might have accidentally mistaken your brother for you."_

_Yui lay still before him, his eyes closed and on his face, an expression of peace that Fai found ironic. He did not seem to have been harmed but Fai was not going to take chances. He checked on him immediately and to his immense relief found Yui unscathed. Ashura-o smiled at him benignly. "Why, what a surprise this is."_

"_Traitor." Fai muttered, moving away from his brother and towards the smiling king. The smile vanished in an instant. "Traitor. I swear I'll make you pay for this."_

"_I see the betrayal has hurt you at heart. It was unintentional, I assure you." He was smiling again but his eyes were wary and calculating, ready to defend himself any moment._

"_Yes, you hurt me." Fai's eyes were dark blue – the colour of the ocean. Around him there was a deep glow that he was unaware of. The sight terrified Ashura-o, although he never misplaced his carefully assembled mask. "But I do not intend to let you hurt my brother." A step closer. He walked slowly, taking short steps. "I thought you loved me and cared for the both of us. You were the loving companion we had never known. You betrayed the both of us. You brought us happiness and now you are robbing us of it. I will not let His Majesty—" Ashura-o visibly cringed at the appellation. "—appropriate our birthright!"_

"_What can you do, boy?" His voice was coarse. He seemed to have mastered his fear. "You were a helpless creature when I found you and you will remain to be one forever!"_

"_What His Majesty fails to acknowledge is that while he fed me lies, he also taught me to fight. And fight I will, until one of us dies!"_

"_Did you honestly believe me? You are an obstacle in my path to attain true power. I was told that to achieve what I truly desire, I had to get rid of you. I daresay it is and always has been of little to no consequence to me how you fare in this world. You were born unlucky and there was nothing I could do to change that."_

"_The sage you talked to was a trickster, just like you are! He has no more of wisdom in him than you do of honesty!" Fai was just a step away from the king. He unleashed the full power of his eyes on him. "He despised both of us – Yui and me. Do you know why? He was afraid of us and the power we hold! And he wasn't wrong to fear us so."_

"_Don't fool yourself. You have seen cruel proof of my strength."_

"_Aye, but you have not seen mine." Fai let go of his control over his suppressed rage and it broke out of him like water breaking forth from a dam. The magic he had freed was appalling and it took away so much of his energy that he fell down, unconscious in a few seconds._

_An hour later, when he opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings, the king was sleeping peacefully in his tomb, a picture of serenity. It was as he watched the king in his slumber that tears trickled down his face, his stifled pain finally unleashed, consuming him completely._

_He was free. . .freed from the tower, freed from fear, but freed from love too._

"_Why. . ."_

It was just like that night. "Why?" Fai asked, unable to stop himself. "Why did you betray us? Why did you pretend to care for us? You could have destroyed us the minute you set your eyes on us. Yet you chose to bide your time and attack at –what you thought was-the right moment. It brought both of us pain. Why? You could have saved yourself the trouble and killed us in an instant. I ask you now, when I have nothing to lose, why you did that. Why, Ashura-sama?"

Ashura froze. Fai had spoken his name after years and yet, it was not the name that caused the guilt to wash over him. It was the way he spoke his name – like it was something gentle and tender; something respectful. And in that, Fai, without knowing what he had done, had stripped Ashura of the control he had had over his emotions. His lips quivering, he looked down at the innocent boy with such tenderness in his eyes that Fai forgot his curiosity in an instant. This Ashura was the one he had had known and loved; this Ashura was the one he had longed for all these years. Was he the real one?

"I-I was told...that to conquer you, I had to bestow upon you...some-something that you had never had the privilege of experiencing and then-_then _I had to deprive you of it so that you would be at your weakest. That would be the right moment to strike. And that was exactly what I did." The words were spoken with difficulty and the speaker refused to meet Fai's gaze.

"You had been well-informed of my flaws then." Fai said quietly, trying his very best to mask the hurt he felt. "You showed us what happiness felt like and then, you took it away from us."

"I locked you in that tower and tried to torture you, hoping you would die." His voice was tremulous. "I tried to rob you of the power you possessed by feeding you immensely gory sights in the hopes that it would sicken you and eventually. . ._kill _you." Ashura-o moved away, closer to his tomb. "But your love for your brother would not die and that was what helped you succeed in your endeavours."

Fai wanted to heave right then and there. "Why didn't you just kill me with your own hands instead of locking me in the tower and robbing me of my sanity?"

There was a long pause. Fai waited, with bated breath, for the answer. His hatred towards his former lover was long forgotten. His curiosity to know the truth was gradually being satiated and it wiped his mind clean of any other thought.

"I could not." The words were like a breath of fresh air to Fai and they immobilised him. "Killing you in a moment meant that I would be making your end a peaceful one but I...could not. It meant losing you forever too soon and too sudden for me to comprehend the loss. Yet, I could not let go of my resolve either." The eyes hardened. "So I tried to kill you slowly. A part of me hated myself for it and I could not bear to see you suffer. But I had to do it."

Fai was struggling to digest the piece of information. "You. . .loved me, then?" He asked with an innocence he thought had left him long ago. He sounded almost child-like in his anticipation to know the answer.

The king did not answer but he turned to Fai with a small smile on his face. His eyes glowed with that unfamiliar emotion again and Fai knew, from the thudding of the heart, that he loved this beautiful man standing before him. He had never stopped loving him even when he had been betrayed. While struggling through the pain that he had experienced after the incident that seemed to have happened ages ago, he had been angry at himself. He had been angry at himself for being so gullible and for being unable to stop loving the king even after he had betrayed him. That anger, directed at himself, was what he had mistaken to be hatred.

This revelation did not come across as shockingly as it was supposed to. Instead, Fai found himself watching the king, his eyes reflecting the love Fai felt, as he came to stand in front of him. Raising his hand hesitantly, he placed it against Fai's warm cheek. The touch of the cool hand send shivers down his spine – but the thrill was something he yearned for. The king's face loomed closer, his mouth parting in a fashion Fai was familiar with. His body leaned in closer, burning for his touch – the desire having been buried under false hatred for so many days.

Ashura read the craving in Fai's eyes and felt a queer sense of excitement that he had not experienced in a long time. He forgot himself and his genuine wish for power as he was made prisoner by a mysterious, unaccountable emotion – love. This emotion which had subtly entered his life and had tormented him to no end; this emotion, which, no matter what it had put him through, still had him longing for its presence in his life. Love, people had decided to call it and love it will remain throughout eternity.

Their prior intentions forgotten, their eyes closed in sync as their lips drew closer. Fai could feel the king's warm breath on his face and he had very nearly lost control when—

-an image of Yui flashed in his mind's eye. The picture conjured by his mind – the conniving old thing – was disturbing in every sense for it was one that he had seen only once before a very long time ago – a time when he had been caught in the fantasies of infatuation and had not been observant enough to uncover the latent meaning it entailed.

It was not something that instigated pain per se, but it was a sight that sickened him to the very core. Yui was smiling, something that was an innate part of him, but it was the very act that repulsed Fai. For, the smile that was usually natural was anything but. The image turned into a series of photographic memories pieced together by his brain and Fai, for the first time, realised that the smile was an expression of Yui's own point of view. It was cynical, cold, twitchy and above all, _un_natural. Fai could not understand how he could have overlooked the pain Yui had struggled to hide in that single smile. He had been too involved in his new-found happiness, he realised, to go beyond a simple, puzzled expression of concern. Yui had most easily brushed the query away with a vague answer.

Fai now realised that what Yui had been hiding was his own agony – his own humiliation, at the hands of the king. Yui had been clever enough to see the king for what he was – a manipulative power-thirsty ruler – but for _his_ sake, for his loving, blind and foolish brother's sake, he had hid the burning shame, aggregated by repeated subtle taunts from the king, with that smile.

Whether fateful or not, that image had had some purpose to have pushed its way into his active mind currently in the clutches of the passion. And Fai was not going to be a fool once more. As abruptly as their desire for each other had erupted, Fai quenched it – or at the very least, had the upper hand – with a whirl, perhaps not as graceful as a ballerina's, but effective enough to force the king to break free from his own fit of ardour.

Eyes shielded, Fai moved farther away, coming to the wise conclusion that putting as much distance between them as possible was the only way of allaying his tersely-curtailed wave of fervour. That offended part of him was palpably still in control – perhaps not entirely, because it was yet to completely recover from the shock of having been cut off rudely. Fai felt exhausted by the tumult inside of him and his mind received another blow at the thought of the _real _battle which had not even begun yet.

Ashura-o did not say anything but Fai sensed his bewilderment. He still did not have the courage to face him but the silence augmenting the tension in the air was starting to asphyxiate him. Overcome by the confusion, Fai spoke without thought, "This. . .cannot be."

The king's mien was understandably taciturn but his face was eloquent enough to convey the emotional maelstrom that had been instigated by his words – words, spoken quietly and gently, but words, that were elucidated to his ears. "I cannot-_will_ not-let Ashura-o toy with me once more."

For the second time that day, Fai crouched in a fighting pose. With a sinking feeling and abashed regret, Fai reluctantly let go of the false hope – not entirely, but significantly – that had persisted in him just moments ago. Ashura-o might have reciprocated his feelings, but his hunger for power was far more dominating than his proclaimed love for Fai.

Outside the sky still looked down upon the battle pleasantly. The heavens cannot be affected by human conflict. The heavenly beings were immortal and invincible and even the most powerful earthling cannot strip them of their supremacy.

But instead of planning his first attack, Ashura-o strode towards Fai and came to a stand-still a mere few inches away from him, his breath ragged. "You do not stand a chance against me, boy. . .you tricked me; you made me a sentimental fool and I will not forgive you for that. I loved you. . .and you-you repaid me by rejecting my affections!"

Against his better judgement, Fai looked into the king's eyes as he listened to him and in them he saw a fierce resolve to see the battle to the end. He understood that the king's pride had been hurt. Inconspicuously, he breathed in his scent. "We both know love would not have been enough to stop you. You were thirsty for power and no amount of tender affection will ever change that."

"How would you know? You refuse to believe in the truth. . .you deny what you can see. And that, _that _is why you will never succeed."

As he let the king speak, Fai slowly slid a hand into his pocket and gripped the cold, hard object. He smiled. "No, I kept denying the truth until my brother saved me. . .I cannot afford to be a fool once more."

But Ashura was barely listening. On his face was a look of incredulity. "Your brother? Oh of course. . .how foolish of me to forget. Of course your brother would save you. You never stop thinking about him, do you? 'Yui will be alone. I must go', 'Yui will be afraid. . .' " Ashura did an uncanny impression of Fai's worried tone. "Every waking minute is spent worrying about him. I would not be surprised if he haunts your dreams!"

Fai stared up at him in amazement, his mouth agape. He could trace a hint of jealously in the king's voice. Was that why, perhaps, that he had always been subtly condescending towards Yui? "Yui. . .was the only person who ever cared about me."

"_I _cared about _you_!" Ashura-o yelled in outrage. "But did you notice? Never! You smiled and laughed and told me you enjoyed my company but your thoughts always strayed to your brother! I gave you everything you wanted and perhaps even more but I could never compare to _him_!"

Fai swallowed and tried to close his mouth in an attempt to look composed. Ashura was jealous of _Yui_? It was completely unexpected and threw him off-guard. Such a notion had never entered his mind. It was unthinkable; improbable. But it was slowly proving to be the truth. He read the fury in the blazing golden eyes, recalled the passion they had held when he had admitted to his feelings and the hunger they had revealed when he spoke of power. Such a strange combination of emotions. Greed was mundane; but greed for love, power _and _tenderattention – would it not wreck the quest for all three? Especially for Ashura-o?

"_. . .denied what he truly desires. . ."_

As comprehension dawned inside of him, Fai, for the first time that day, knew what he had to do. He smiled beatifically and the king stopped short at the sight. "I'm sorry. . ." he murmured, clutching at the dagger in his pocket. "I never knew you felt that way. I will not deny that I love Yui very much. . .but neither will I deny the fact that I love you too, Ashura-sama, but in a very different way. . . "

He placed a steady hand against the king's flushed cheek like he had done just moments ago and leaned in closer. "And that is why. . ." he trailed off, watching as the king succumbed to the unquenched passion once more and pressed his lips to Fai's. Fai opened his mouth wider, enjoying the warm, tender feeling growing inside him so much that he almost forgot his original plan. Their tongues battled against each other and Ashura-o gripped Fai tighter, his eyes closed. Fai watched the ecstatic expression on the king's face and letting the tears fall down his cheeks, pushed the dagger through the king's heart. He only had the time to register the taste of salty tears in his mouth before darkness closed in on him forever. An end to the beginning of something beautiful. Such is life.

Fai wept quietly as Ashura-o sagged against him, his body still warm. Holding on to him like a child gripping a toy, he kissed those lips once more, desperately hoping that the warmth would not fade away. The tears were slow and scarce and Fai realised that this sense of heaviness in his chest cannot be washed away by mere tears. It was grief too immense and erasing it with just tears was impossible – it meant relief from agony and it meant freedom.

Fai craved for freedom not from grief but from earth. As he gently set the cold form of the king down on the cold floor, a smile adorned his delicate features. Without looking away from the frozen face, he pierced himself with the same dagger. As he welcomed death with open eyes, his last image of the mundane world was the engraving on the ceiling:

_What is hate if it is not love gone awry?_

He had found peace at last.

* * *

**i.**

"FAI. . .FAI! I'M-I'm hungry. . ." Yui whispered somewhat contritely. The eerie silence carried his subdued voice to the desired individual.

Fai peered up at his twin from him resting place about forty feet below the ledge that Yui was cautiously looking down from. Without a word, he rummaged around his bed and finally found the morsel of bread he had wrapped in paper wedged in between the quilt and the cot. He stood up from his bed, cautious not to making any sound on the cold marble floor. Above, Yui waited patiently.

The tower was narrow, about eight feet in diameter and slightly tapering as it steadily increased in height. Fai placed a hand on one of the walls and slowly grazed it with his fingertips. When he found the rope he was looking for, he tied the piece of bread with it and gave it a tiny jerk. Yui felt the slight twitch and began to pull the rope until the food lay in his hands. For a few minutes, the only sound in the tower was a mild _crunch-crunch_. Fai smiled. He looked through the small hole (the work of careless craftsmen), his only link to the real world outside. The sight that greeted him was queer.

Beyond the sandy lane and the sickly-green bushes that had grown quite familiar to him in the past year, a procession was progressing towards the tower. Fai squinted to get a better look and he could discern what resembled a carriage in the middle of the procession. As the men drew closer, he could also hear what they were calling out, "All hail His Majesty! King Ashura!"

Fai froze in surprise as the procession came to a stop just in front of the tower. He moved away from the window when he saw the men grimly survey the tower. Fai could still feel his heart thudding as he slid down to his bed. The king was here. Why was he here?

He nearly jumped out of his skin when there was mighty thud and the door to the tower was slowly slid open. He reflectively put a hand before his eyes to shield them from the bright onset of illumination in the relatively dark tower. Outside, the voices were an indistinctive buzz. It had been a long time since he had had to listen to so much of. . ._sound_. Above, he could see Yui mimicking his actions and pretending to rest in his own bed.

A figure blocked the entrance to the tower – he was of massive build, his chest enormous and his arms threatening to shred the clothing that covered them. "All righ', ya boys?" he called in a gravelly voice as he dragged himself to where Fai was sitting, with a mystified expression on his face. _That _was not entirely pretence. As he came closer, Fai noticed his long, dirty beard and the bruises on his arms. "Gerrup. . ." the man said, shaking Fai roughly. "The king wants ter see ya. Seems like yer in luck, eh?"

Instinctively, Fai looked up at Yui as he shuffled to his feet. The man caught his gaze and chuckled. "Don' ya worry abou' yer li'l bro. . .he'll be down in a minute. . .Oi, ya there!" he yelled, pointing at someone randomly. "Ya mind helpin' me get the otha kid down?"

Before he knew it, he was surrounded by two men who led him out of the tower. The man with bruises in his arms was working with the supposed assistant to bring Yui down. The two men were similar in appearance to the bearded men and they had looped one of their arms through Fai's own and were so tall that Fai was struggling to keep his toes in contact with the ground. If he wasn't nervous, Fai would have laughed out loud at the comical sight.

Once outside, they immediately disentangled themselves from him as stood as far away from his as possible. Fai ignored their blatant display of repulsion. Yui was made to stand next to him. In front of him, a mere few feet away, stood the king dressed in the most dazzling clothes. Close behind him, stood five men in expensive-looking kimonos. Fai assumed they were his advisors.

Ashura-o was the most beautiful man Fai had ever set his eyes on. His long, ebony hair fell to his hips in straight, thick sheets. His skin was pale but healthily so and his eyes – Fai had only had a few seconds to observe him but he had the strangest feeling that the king had been watching him – his _eyes, _were a deep, golden brown. If Fai had to choose, he would have to say that the king's best features were his eyes.

He was tall and it was difficult to describe his physique since it was hidden under many layers of clothing. He was now, most definitely, gazing at the two of them with a calm expression on his face. Fai felt a peculiar sense of serenity just standing in front of him, despite the fact that he was their ruler and had the power to kill them both with a single command.

"Fai and Yui D. Flowright. . ." he spoke, his voice was a chilled whisper that sent shivers down Fai's spine in spite of the warm weather. ". . .the infamous twins."

"Aged twenty. Parents died due to small pox left unattended when they were ten months old." One of the advisors spoke in a murmur, without preamble. "They were immediately admitted to the 'Ten kara no tenkei' orphanage but were asked to leave when they were fifteen since the orphanage was over-crowded and they were the oldest."

Ashura-o barely indicated that he had heard him while he continued to gaze at the two of them. "They. . .presumably lived on the streets until a year ago," another advisor said, clearly uncomfortable. "The people demanded that they be locked up because they were causing trouble. His Masjesty was away at the time but we took counsel from your most trusted minister and carried on with their wishes." Perhaps not exactly _advisors _if they took advice from someone else.

"What kind of trouble?" Ashura-o asked coolly, still not looking away. Fai wondered why they were suddenly being showered so much of unwanted attention.

"Well. . .er. . .they-that is. . ." The advisor coughed. "They kept begging for food."

There was dead silence as his words fell flat. All the people – who had, for so long, been muttering to each other – suddenly observed silence as they nervously watched the king. His face remained impassive. Then, "Free them."

Fai's jaw fell open on its own accord while the people, as one, voiced their protests. For the first time since meeting him, Ashura-o turned away to face the angry crowd. Instantly, the noise reduced to a gentle murmur. Fai guessed that the king's eyes must have done the trick. "Why?" Fai heard him say, still in the same soft tone but perhaps with more emotion than before. "They never harmed any of you."

The crowd fell utterly silent. Then, someone yelled, "They're _twins_! They bring bad luck!"

Next to him, Fai felt Yui tense slightly. He gripped his hand in reassurance. Ashura-o did not comment on this as he spoke to his advisors, "They can stay with me," his tone was disapproving. With one final look at them – and particularly at Fai – he strode away, "Free them."

**ii.**

THE PALACE WASenchantingly beautiful. Beauty had been hard to come by in the last twenty years of their life and in those rare occasions that it was present, they were too worried about themselves to acknowledge it. But now, with freedom at last granted – provided they bore the criticism of the people, which they did with good humour – which, safe to say, was still unnerving, beauty was all that they could see.

"We should thank him." Yui said scrutinizing a portrait of Ashura-o that hung in the library. Fai did not reply as he gazed at the king's relaxed face with a hint of a teasing smile. He had thinner lips. Obviously, the artist was not observant enough.

Thus, over a special dinner with His Majesty, they expressed their sincere gratitude. He waved it aside with a deep chuckle, "I must apologise. I did not know you were being subject to such discrimination." He raised the wine glass to his lips, staring at his plate. "I am ashamed that my so-called advisors did not run this by me."

It was their turn to brush away his words and the meal ended on a pleasant note, which was why Fai could not understand why he was standing, just minutes later, before the king's room, with his hand poised to knock. Being 'special' guests, they were allowed to wander at will and the servants were given special orders to grant every one of their wishes, even if it involved him.

He knocked.

He slid in he was granted permission to enter (he really did have a lovely voice) and stood blushing next to the door, unsure of what to say. On Ashura-o's face was a look of bemusement. "Is something wrong?" He closed the book he was reading. "Are you not comfortable?"

Fai was horrified. "No-no, we're completely fine, thank you." As the king continued to look puzzled, he mustered the courage to say, "I just wanted to thank you again. You do not know how much this means to us."

He was smiling. "Fai-san. . ." he said, addressing him directly for the first time. Fai froze at the mention of his name. Ashura-o stopped short at his surprise. His brow creased with worry. "I'm sorry. . .did I mistake you for your brother?"

"Of-of course not." Fai collected himself. "In fact, I'm quite surprised you guessed it right."

He was bestowed a wolfish grin. "Fai-san. . ." he tried again. ". . .would you care for some ice-cream? I tell you, I have never tasted something more delicious. . ."

**iii.**

"YOU'RE FOOLING YOURSELF,young man." The sage's eyes hardened uncharacteristically. "You are beguiled into believing he cares for you."

Fai inhaled sharply, his hands balling into fists. "He will turn against you once your powers show their true colours." The sage continued. "He cares only for power."

"You do not _know _Ashura-sama. I cannot let you speak ill of him, Rondart-san." Fai struggled to keep his tone from turning harsh.

The bespectacled man chuckled darkly. "You gullible fool. . .Listen to me! If you had an ounce of sense in you, you would leave this luxury to accept my invitation. . .we can travel together, along with your twin, and with your combined powers—" The brown eyes shone with a maniac gleam. "—we can conquer the world!"

"I had assumed sages renounce desire." Fai replied, somewhat dryly. "Obviously, I am mistaken."

The gleam vanished. "You have walked too deep into this to come back, I see." He said with a piteous tone that was disconcerting. "Very well. You write your own fate."

"Leave us alone." Fai said, his voice cracking. "We are happy. Ashura-sama is a wonderful man and he would never, ever hurt—"

"You are smitten." Rondart cut him off. "It's not surprising, I assure you. Ashura-o is a very attractive man and he is a _king _after all. Who would let him go?"

The slap was hard and shocking. "Leave us alone if you want to stay alive. Close the door behind you."

**iv.**

"THANK YOU, YUI-SAN. . .that was wonderful." Ashura-o looked suitably pleased with the performance.

"Yui has always been good with the piano." Fai said eagerly. "He has magical fingers."

"I can see that." Ashura's smile was somewhat strained. "Fai, would you make us a cup of tea? I suddenly crave the delicious aroma."

"I'll only be a moment." The hurried footsteps died away.

"Yui-san, where did you learn to play the piano?"

Yui looked up from the piano, an easy smile lighting his features. "The orphanage had a piano." He shrugged. "Some wealthy man who loved the piano donated it so that we could learn to play it. Unfortunately, they could not find a suitable teacher so it was of no use."

"Am I to understand that you learnt to play without any formal training?"

"I have always been attracted to the instrument. It was a bit difficult but I managed to get along well on my own."

A pause. Then, "Fai speaks very highly of you."

"We are brothers." Yui replied, as though that explained everything. "We have been together in all that we have had to go through these past twenty years of our lives."

"Perhaps not everything. . ." Ashura-o looked pondering. "Fai does spend more time with me. . .relatively."

Yui looked up sharply at this but the king was smiling. Was he being over-imaginative or did he just detect a hint of possessiveness in his tone? He recalled his words again. Was the king implying that Fai was_his_? Should he shrug it off or should he question—

"Tea's ready!" Fai said cheerfully, a tray in his hands. He set it down on the table and turned to Ashura-o. "Ashura-sama. . .here's your cup with four sugar cubes. . .just how you like it." Yui did not miss the look Fai gave the king or the smile Ashura-o returned. Then his golden eyes rested on Yui's own and they looked triumphant just for a second.

"Yui, how about another performance?" Fai said, as he settled down next to the king.

'Fai likes him,' Yui told himself as he obliged his brother with a small smile. Fai looked puzzled for a second but his expression cleared as Mozart's Symphony No.14 filled the air.

'Fai likes him.'

**v.**

'THIS IS A DREAM. . .' Fai thought to himself for the hundredth time that day. 'It's all right, it's just a bad dream. You'll be fine once you wake up. Although. . .can you feel pain in dreams?'

The sage's face swarmed in front of him, looking malicious. "I warned you." His tone was patronizing. "You brought this on yourself. It's a pity your brother stubbornly refuses to leave your side. If I couldn't get the both of you, I would have settled for one. But what is done is done."

'Shut up.' Fai wanted to tell him, but he couldn't speak. He tried to make his lips move, but all he could produce was a muffled sound. He was gagged. 'This is proving to be the worst dream.' Next to him, Yui was being dragged along in a similar fashion, his mouth gagged and his hands tied behind his back. On his face was a look of worry. He was clearly worried about Fai. 'I'm fine,' he wanted to assure his younger brother. 'I'm just having a bad dream.'

The tower loomed menacingly in front of them. He felt fear gnaw his insides. In contrast, the people cheered at the sight. Someone in the crowd yelled, "Finally back to where you belong!"

The door was slowly being slid open – they were only a few feet away from the tower. Fai started to hyperventilate. 'No. . .no. Wake up. WAKE UP!' Yui's expression went from worry to alarm. They were roughly thrown to the ground as the door, with an almighty groan, fully slid across to reveal the entrance. Grovelling in the ground, Fai looked up to find Ashura-o standing in front of them, with the same expression on his face as the one he had had two years ago, when he had first met them. He struggled against the gag; he wanted to know why Ashura-o was not doing anything to help them. 'Ashura-sama. . .'

"Has the tower been reconstructed as was instructed?" he spoke in his trademark voice – the calm, steady one – as though this was just a formal gathering of some sort.

"Yes, Your Highness." One of the advisors hurried to speak. "Just as you desired."

Confusion clouded Fai's mind. "Good." Ashura-o turned his attention back to him. "Send them inside. Remove their gags and the ropes."

"But—"

"Do as I say. They cannot overcome my powers."

Inside, the tower was just as fearsome as it had been two years ago but Fai could sense a stronger magical power residing within it. He was finding it difficult to convince himself it was a dream. His dreams were never this clear.

"Ashura-sama, I do not understand. . ." Fai said as soon as the king strode inside. Beside him, Yui stood quietly, despite having his gag removed. "Why are we here again?"

"You have begun to grow on me." His voice was icy; biting. "I let myself be tricked into believing you were innocent. . .how foolish of me! If that sage had not warned me just in time, you would have robbed me of my power!" His voice, like never before, rose in octaves. "I thought the people were being superstitious, but I was wrong. . .you _do _bring bad luck!"

The door slammed behind him. Fai stared at the dark door until darkness was all that he could see.

**vi.**

FROM HIS WINDOW,the tower looked small and indistinct. Set against the red sky, its dark appearance blended in with the other monuments. Yet, Ashura-o was unable to take his eyes off the sharp tip of the tower.

"Your Highness did what was right." Kyle Rondart's soothing voice interrupted his thoughts. He refused to turn away from his window. "Any longer and they would have taken over your empire." Ashura-o granted him a small, sharp nod.

"You thirst for power. . .those foolish young men were preventing you from attaining what you truly desire. You were being gradually weakened by their childish, boisterous company." Ashura-o could not see the cunning smile Rondart allowed himself. "Let us look towards our next step. . .two of them together can be trying. Destroy one to weaken the other. Recall your genuine intentions. They will give you new strength!"

The sage left after a few more encouraging words that he barely listened to. The whole time he had his back to him while he stared at the tower where Fai was locked up. The sage was right. He had always wanted power – more than what he had now. He wanted the whole universe, not a mere country. He had the strength and passion for it. If the sage had not intervened just in time, he would have completely let go of his prior goals.

Power in its entirety was what he wished for. He wanted all the power the universe could offer and he had the ability to have them all. Power brought with it control. Control over the universe was his life-long desire.

Yet, he could not stop the wetness that covered his cheeks moments later. The sage was wrong. He was not saved.

He had already become a weak fool.

**vii.**

TWO YEARS PASSED BYin misguided apathy. Sleepless nights spent recalling one memory after another were proving to be exhausting. Food had lost its usual taste and the world had lost colour. Yui was still far away – his cheerful words fell against ears that longed for a different voice, his smiling face were looked at by eyes that imagined a different smile, his bright blue eyes were always traded for intense golden ones in his mind.

Love, of course, still remained.

Love in prolific amounts together with tender attention was present at all times. Not from a lover but from a brother. It made all the difference in the world. Yui strove to bring back his brother and fought against the invisible monsters that threatened to kill Fai. His self-concern discarded for additional strength, Yui spent determined days watching over his brother, never losing hope. But love was not as effective as time. Love could never defeat time.

But Yui's good will stuck to Fai's heart. Although the words went unheard, the love was felt through the numbness that covered him. And for that, he remained immensely grateful.

When the only love that had stayed by him his whole life was damaged, Fai could take it no longer. Anger blinded love – a different love – and in his desperation to cling to the thread that connected him to life, Fai put aside his strongest emotions when Ashura-o finally implemented the sage's version of Divide and Conquer.

Love saved him.

**viii.**

THE WATER WASwarm and clear. Fai stared at his own reflection. A pale fingertip disturbed his reflection. He longed for guidance; he longed for a mentor. He was tired of scaring people away by his power. The news of Ashura-o's temporary fall resulted in the twins being shunned but with deference. They were no longer prisoners of the tower.

He longed for. . .an end.

The image that greeted his preoccupied gaze threw him off-guard. The woman looked at him with sleepy crimson eyes and a subtle smile. "Fai D. Flowright. . .welcome. I am Yuko Ichihara. How may I help you?"

Was this an answer for his prayers? He had heard of the Witch. "He. . .he is getting stronger day by day."

"Ashura-o is a powerful man." Yuko smiled, obviously well-informed. "But he is forever cursed to be denied what he truly desires. . .perhaps, it is a blessing in disguise."

"Anything." Fai said, suddenly exhausted. "Anything to put an end to it."

"Even your brother?"

Her smile told him she knew his answer. But he gave her one anyway. "Anything but that. I'd rather die than sacrifice him!"

She studied him with heavy-lidded eyes. "You do not know the power your words hold. They might be prophetic. Nevertheless. . ." she looked away for a moment and Fai forgot her words in a queer sense of excitement. ". . .this should suffice."

An instant later, the pond was restored to its serenity. Beside him, a dagger lay bedded in the grass, the metal glinting in the sunlight. A note attached to it read:

_Make a choice: love in Hell or Heaven on Earth._

Heaven and Earth never mix.

* * *

**Perhaps that was a little on the dramatic side. But I hope it wasn't too much to take. Please feel free to leave your comments. They really mean a lot to me.**

**Notes on some terms:**

_**Fai D. Flowright: **__I basically wanted to tie up this loose end, since I mentioned Fai in the beginning of the story. Fai's role comes to an end after this and from now on, Yui will be referred to as Fai for all purposes until mentioned otherwise._

_**Geniuses: **__Yes, I've known for a while now that there's some speculation about the plural form of genius – whether it's geniuses or genii. Well, I preferred to go by the Oxford Dictionary and 'geniuses' is accepted. If you don't mind, I'd like to stick to that._

_**Ashura-o**__: I was trying to keep him in character but I think I might have slipped more than a little bit. I stumbled upon a personality analysis of Ashura-o after I had written most of the chapter and luckily, not much has to be altered. However, I'm sorry to say that I didn't bother to redo the whole chapter after that. But I did add trivial things like how he likes sweet things (the ice cream, four cubes of sugar) and depicted how he's also a little flirtatious (this was a fluke, actually). I hope that's a consolation. There will be no mention of Yasha-o in the story._

_**Kimonos: **__Men's kimono outfits are far simpler than women's, typically consisting of five pieces, not including footwear. Men's kimono sleeves are attached to the body of the kimono with no more than a few inches unattached at the bottom._

_**Smallpox: **__Although magic could have easily been employed by one of the higher dignitaries to cure the twins' parents, since they were unpopular and did not get themselves treated, I thought it would be probable that they died. Moreover, smallpox can prove to be fatal. About 30% of the people afflicted with it died._

_**Ten kara no tenkei: **__Roughly translates to 'Blessings from Heaven'. I just couldn't resist that bit of Japanese. I thought the name was ironic, considering how Fai and Yui actually fit the title (i.e., Blessings from Heaven) very well but the people consider them 'bad luck'._

_**Kyle Rondart: **__I'm struggling NOT to bring in any of my own characters. I admit Kyle Rondart posing as a sage is peculiar but if you look at him as a philosopher, it sort of fits. . .don't you think? Although, he is VERY much out of character here. I deeply apologise for that._

**If you still have some questions on certain terms, please mention them through your reviews. I'd be happy to help. But I think this list should cover everything. Thank you.**


	6. Chapter 5

**I could say that I was experiencing writer's block but I'm not sure what it was. I guess I got a little busy. So here's chapter 5. And I'd like to apologize for the delay as well as for the length of this chapter. Usual disclaimers apply.**

**Replies to the reviews of the previous chapter:**

**nila . vanathi: **Ah I'm really glad you liked it but I'm sorry to say that Fai and Ashura won't be pulled in again for a while. Thank you for reviewing!

**Kyokugami: **That's the best praise I can ever get for writing! Thank you so much! And I hope you'll continue reviewing my other chapters!

* * *

**Emotionless**

**Chapter: 5**

IN THE DIMLY LITroom, his sensibilities were acute. His hurried departure from his homeland, the excitement at making new acquaintances and his general confusion at the way things were unfolding had left him with little time to brood over the High Priest's words. But now, with the rain thudding against the window-panes – the sound mixing with the thud of his own heart in his ears - and the Witch's impassive face offering him no alternative, he was forced to face reality, which, safe to say, was ever-changing.

She was dying. The girl, in his arms, was dying. While he was trying to convince himself, life was flowing out of her rapidly. And he was not preventing it. "I-I can save her. . ." he said audibly albeit dazedly.

He looked up at the Witch and waited for her to shake her head and tell him, in her calm (but infuriatingly so) voice that he was indeed mistaken for, Syaoran, although full of unwavering determination could not handle being hopeful. According to him, hope differed from determination in that the former was appealing to a power that was not in one's control but nevertheless, was an innate part of oneself whereas determination was the strength to _keep_ everything under one's control.

Instead, she granted him both a devilish smile and a nod. And thus, hope mingled with determination. Emotion joined hands with practicality. He was united both inside and out and he was not certain he could handle it. It was unthinkable and yet, real. "Yes, you can restore her powers back to her."

Syaoran had known Sakura for eight years now and he had never come close to guessing how powerful she was and judging from all the he had learnt in the past hour, neither had she. He recalled all that he had discovered and strove to sort them out. "The Clow ruins – what kind of powers do they hold?"

"Mysterious powers that are not unlike Sakura's own. I take it that it is a newly-excavated place." He nodded. "Ironically, the power I sense is ancient. . ." Her lips curled and he wondered, not for the first time, what it was that she was thinking. "This magic forced Princess Sakura's powers out of her as a result of which, her body's capabilities have withdrawn."

He was thankful that she had not laid out the situation as brazenly as before. Hearing the word once was enough. "And her powers have manifested themselves in the form of-of _feathers, _which have scattered through different dimensions."

She offered him another nod. "To capture them, you will have to be able to travel through different dimensions and that brings us to your wish." As if on cue, the door slid open and he found himself staring at a tall, skinny teenager with short, spiky black hair and light blue eyes shielded behind gold-rimmed spectacles. An unfamiliar feeling was forming at the pit of Syaoran's stomach and before he could place it, his attention was diverted by what the boy was holding in his hands.

The creature sat comfortably in the boy's cupped hands, looking extremely unnatural with its white, furry body and droopy bunny ears (from one of which hung a red earring). It had flaps for hands and legs like most stuffed toys do, with no distinguishing toes or fingers. Its eyes were closed and it was unmistakably smiling. On its forehead was large red gem. The creature jumped on to Yuko's proffered hand and the boy exited the room, but not before throwing a curious gaze in Syaoran's direction, which he most readily returned with a strong one.

"Mokona here is the answer to all your wishes." Yuko patted the creature's head affectionately.

The silence that followed was awkward and prolonged until the last person Syaoran expected to speak broke it. Kurogane's bluntness combined with his gruff voice was a contrast to the words that fell from his lips, "It looks like a manju bun."

Fai chuckled, ("Kuro-tan has _such _a good sense of humour,") while Syaoran took another look at the creature in question. Well now that he compared the description with the creature, it _did _look sort of round and the colour did not help matters in its favour. . .

"How is _that_—" Kurogane pointed an accusing finger at Mokona who looked neither offended nor anything like what Syaoran expected his one chance at saving his friend would. "—going to help anyone?"

She looked decidedly amused at first glance but then she began to talk and her expression became inscrutable once more, "First and foremost, each one of you requires the ability to cross through different dimensions. Mokona will transport you from one world to another. Second of all, when a feather is in your vicinity, Mokona's eyes will pop open—" he obligingly opened his eyes and Syaoran glimpsed two, wide purple orbs before they disappeared under his lids. "—like this to alert you. And last of all, he will behave as an interpreter to help you communicate with the populace of the worlds you travel to."

Kurogane stared at her incredulously. "Wait a minute," his voice trembled slightly and Syaoran was not ignorant enough to believe it was out of fear. "Are you telling me that I'll have to tag along with them till that stuffed toy _happens _to take us to _my _home?"

He looked quite fierce, hidden in the shadows, the darkness making him look dangerous. But Yuko just stared at the burly man with a slight smile playing on her lips, "I'm afraid so, Kurogane. Although. . .if I recall correctly, you have a completely different purpose for being here, don't you?"

At her words, his face changed drastically. He looked positively livid. For a frightening moment, Syaoran though he was going to attack the Witch but something seemed to come over him and he strode out of the room without a word, his cloak fluttering behind him. He was gone in a whirl of black. Fai made to stand up, as though to follow him but Yuko's crimson eyes seemed to still him. "He cannot leave," she said quietly, the playfulness having dissipated with Kurogane's abrupt exit. "The responsibility to transport you to a different land rests with Mokona alone. He cannot leave even if he fervently wishes to."

Fai heeded her words and remained seated, but he was far from being appeased. She pretended not to notice and refocused her attention on Syaoran, "You must bear in mind that the journey you are to embark upon will not be a simple one. You will come across people who look exactly like your old acquaintances and yet, will not recognize you. Therefore, be careful – _very _careful – never to mistake them for your old relations. . .that will most definitely lead to speculation about where you are from. Never attract unnecessary attention – it is dangerous and in your case, even fatal."

His face was set as he nodded in understanding. Her warning penetrated through the numbness that was yet to desert him. "I understand. When do I start?"

She studied his face intently and he forced himself to maintain her gaze. For a woman who exuded nonchalance most of the time, she did strike him as quite the mistress of histrionics occasionally. Her scrutiny continued for a few more moments before she leaned back in her settee, which he took to be her display of satisfaction, and a pipe he had not noticed before adorned her hand, "Tomorrow, at dawn. You need a night's rest to prepare yourself for what is to come." She cast a fleeting glance at the now-ebony sky, "It is late. Maru and Moro will escort you to your respective rooms." As Syaoran and Fai stood up to leave, she gazed steadily at the fair-haired man, "I believe the proposition suits you well. . .Fai?"

He paused for a moment, his faux-name sounding unnatural coming from her lips. The subtle smile was more than enough evidence that she had long kept his secret and he hoped she felt his unspoken gratitude. He blinked and then offered her a charming smile, "Of course, milady. I thank you for being considerate."

He walked swiftly to the door looking neither nervous nor overly casual, followed closely by Syaoran who still had Sakura in his arms. Yuko watched them leave, discarding the playful smile and donning a more serious expression. Soon, they would begin their fearsome journey, unaware of what was in store for them. She sighed and smoke curled out through her open mouth, creeping into the night air. Beside her, Mokona sat unnaturally quiet, knowing full well that she was in no mood for merriment. A knock on the door whisked her back to reality, the sound timid and the door opened slightly. Watanuki's dark head thrust into the room through the small opening, on his face an expression of unease.

She smiled furtively; the sight of the squirming boy always brought her amusement, even when she was not prepared for it. He had questions – numerous questions and she was certain he would not leave until she answered them all. That did not, however, mean that she _would _give him the answers he wanted. "Well, Watanuki, what do you need?"

That was enough invitation. He closed the door behind him with one hand while the other balanced a tray filled with steaming food. "I-I'm done for the day."

She hid a smile. He observed her closely from behind his eyelashes, checking to see if she would ask him to leave or let him stay. She knew his tactics very well. "Have you cooked us dinner already?"

He nodded. "Maru and Moro took the dinner trays to the guests' rooms before I could offer. As for you. . ." he laid the tray next to her, on the small seat next to the settee and sat down on the floor, leaning against the settee, her feat just inches away from his head. She reached for the tray and tried the yakitori. It was delicious. As always. Her hand involuntarily curled around the flask containing the saké. Watanuki knew her well enough to add that little flask to every meal. "That was. . .satisfying. You really are a talented cook."

He assumed an air of modesty that further entertained her. But he dropped the facade seconds later, and his eyes held a faraway look. "Who are those people?"

He had settled for the most basic question. She was silent for a very long time, taking an occasional sip from the flask and listening to the chirping of various insects outside. "You have never let your customers _stay _here before. . .they come often – sometimes, many times in a day, but they never stay the night."

He finally looked at her from his place on the floor and she knew that she could not evade his questions any longer with silence. "They are very special visitors. They come in need of help, willing to pay any price I ask for."

He did not point out that all her clients came to her, looking for help. Instead, he asked her something that she had been expecting him to ask. "That boy. . .with the brown hair, holding the girl. . .who is he?"

She could see why his attention had been pulled to Syaoran. The two of them shared a connection that strung them together for eternity. She rested her eyes on the agitated boy, feeling something close to pity, "Did he speak to you?"

Watanuki shook his head, absentmindedly petting Mokona as he settled in his lap. "No. . .he just looks familiar, but I'm almost completely sure I've never seen him before and yet. . .there's just something about him—it-it's hard to explain." He blushed, indicating that he was of the assumption that she considered him crazy. "It's like. . .déjà vu. Only. . .even strang—" He leaned forward suddenly, as though someone or something had pushed him from behind. She watched quietly as his skin turned pallid, shining slightly from the sheen of sweat covering his forehead. She watched, knowing full well what had just taken place, as the boy straightened and looked at her with empty, blue eyes. Eyes that had just moments ago, held knowledge; realisation. "What. . .did I come here for?" he looked around and noticed the empty tray. "Oh, of course. . .I came here to-to serve you dinner." He cocked his head to one side as he looked back at her, "Did you enjoy it?"

She placed a gentle hand on his dark head and smiled down at him, her voice unusually tender while he looked at her in bemusement, "Yes, Watanuki, it was wonderful." He offered her a cheeky grin, his usual disposition gradually gaining ground as he and Mokona engaged in their usual verbal battle and the two of them left her to her own devices, their voices, loud but muffled, reaching her even past the closed door. She set down the flask of saké and exhaled deeply, solitude bringing her both reprieve from, and the grave contemplation of, her subtleties.

Being a Space Time Witch often was an onerous task. It left her with little time to concentrate on her heart's other desires. It was ironic, how gifted with the ability to grant wishes, she was unable to satisfy her own need for fulfilment. But that was the price she had had to pay.

**II**

FAI SLIPPED AWAY quietly to the orchard to enjoy the cold night's air. His hand rested on the trunk of an unfamiliar tree, made even stranger to his eyes by the darkness. The rough surface scratched his smooth palm as he absentmindedly caressed the bark, while his mind tired at identifying the emotion that was slowly engulfing him. His thoughts flicked to his brother – his mind feeling more at home as he flipped through memory after memory, now somewhat certain that this puzzling feeling had some relation to his other half.

Wrapped up in his own worries, he almost missed the movement to his far left, where a stream chirped noisily, his peripheral vision presenting him with additional details: a tall, bulky form – Kurogane. For the first time since they had met, Fai hesitated to reveal himself in order to revel in the company of his decidedly sombre companion. Instead, he watched quietly for a few minutes as Kurogane stepped skilfully from one stepping stone to another and quickly reached the other side of the stream. After another moment of vacillating between staying put and following his friend inconspicuously, he opted for the latter and hurriedly crossed the orchard to the stream, cautiously avoiding patches of ground that were hidden from the moonlight and mimicking Kurogane's dash across the stream, although his race was far more graceful.

At long last, he found the familiar silhouette of his mate stretched across a patch of grass concealed cleverly from his position high above, among the pine trees. It was only after a great deal of crouching and poking his face into every reasonable hole that the hiding place had been evinced. He drew nearer and had been about to call out to him to reveal his presence, with some teasing comment, no doubt, when Kurogane shifted and his face was bathed in the moonlight. Fai stopped short, mesmerized by how handsome his otherwise glum friend looked when the spiky hair had been pushed away and the crinkles smoothed to expose the poignant face. His hands tucked underneath his head and his legs splayed casually in the grass, he was watching the sky dejectedly, his eyes unblinking as they swept across the murky firmament, as though searching for something one had had the great misfortune of losing due to carelessness.

Fai desperately wished to question Kurogane and remind him that there was still one person he could turn to, when in need of a friend. After all, they were still friends, weren't they? Nothing that had happened in the past few days could change that. But as he took another long look at the defeated figure, he realised that it was not his place to expect Kurogane to look at him for companionship. With that disheartening thought, he placed one hand on a stone and a foot in a crack to climb back up the way he had come and pushed himself up when—

"And just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

The query was so sudden and loud in coming that he lost his balance and would have fallen hard on the rocky ground if his leg had not tried to wedge itself in a crack in a desperate attempt to still him and succeeded. "My, Kuro-tan, does the sight of a heavily bruised man really please you so much?"

He shrugged, his hands in his pocket and walked back to his former place of contemplation, which Fai took to be an invitation to join him and followed him willingly, "So how did you know where I was?" he cringed inwardly as his sickeningly cheerful voice registered in his own ears.

Kurogane did not answer until he had settled back in his spot on the ground, "You forget that I was taught to fight, where I come from. Naturally, to fight, I must be aware of those around me." Fai refrained from pointing out that he had never before mentioned that he was fighter. Nevertheless, it was the first time he had willingly shared some information about himself. Kurogane then directed his gaze at him, silently demanding for an explanation. All he got in response was a sheepish smile. He sighed uncharacteristically and then waved his hand dismissively, "Leave me alone and go back to your room. The next time I find you snooping around, I won't stop with just a question." With that, he turned away, and Fai was left staring at his back.

Fai did not move, as he watched the surly man with a queer expression on his face. Kurogane had never before sounded so vanquished. He suspected that it was the Witch's words that had reduced him to this state. No one had missed the look on his face when he had stridden out of the room. What was it that Kurogane was keeping from him? What had the Witch said—ah yes, '_You have a completely different purpose for being here, don't you?_' What was his purpose?

The ninja turned around when he realised Fai had not moved an inch, "Oi. I thought I told you to get out of here."

"Right." Fai stumbled to his feet, while Kurogane watched him curiously. "Sorry. I—I'll leave now."

"Yeah, you do that." He was still looking at him strangely and Fai was somewhat relieved to get out of there. He wasn't quite sure what had come over him. He had almost been at the verge of asking Kurogane what was wrong, but somehow, he couldn't find the suitable words to say. As he prepared to climb up again – this time more aware of his surroundings – he paused and without turning back, said loud enough for it to carry, "Kurogane, just keep in mind that we're still friends." And without waiting for an answer, he heaved himself up to where the pine trees stood, swaying ever so slightly to the will of the gentle breeze.

Once safely ensconced in his bed, Fai stopped to think about what he had said. He would have said more if he could have, but then the most unnatural of emotions had gripped him and he was forced to leave before Kurogane could notice anything more unusual than was already the case. But, as Fai turned in his bed, he hoped Kurogane had understood what the underlying meaning had been.

**III**

KUROGANE, COULD NOT for the life of him, understand why Fai had said something as evasive as that and departed without further explanation. They had been acquainted for a year now. Surely, it went without saying that they were – to lay it softly – _friends_. What was the mage thinking? He had enough on his plate already. He didn't exactly need another statement to brood over. With an inelegant snort, he brushed it away. He had other things to worry about.

For instance, his mind kept replaying Princess Tomoyo's last conversation with him before his departure. What had he done wrong? Why did she send him away to learn what 'true strength' really meant? She needed him. He was the best ninja she had ever set her eyes on. Who was going to protect her now that he was gone? As much as he was aware of her mighty powers and—

_Kurogane, just keep in mind that we're still friends._

He paused. Then, continued.

—and her incomparable intelligence, he was not sure that she had been right to send him away. In fact, he was quite certain she had not considered her own well-being when making the decision.

His hand gripped the grass underneath him. He had to go back to her. He had to make her—

_Kurogane, just keep in mind that we're still friends._

He snarled.

—her realise that her safety was in jeopardy when he was not present to guard her. He sighed. Here was his one chance to go back home and it rested in the hands of an inhuman creature which looked suspiciously like a cross between a manju bun and a talking stuffed toy. Really, the Witch was insane, sending something that looked like joke to help them. He hated the way she spoke to him, smiling ever so—

_Kurogane, just keep in mind that we're still friends._

He suppressed the urge to yell with difficulty and gave in to the inexplicable need to solve the mystery Fai had left him with. He was surprised by and displeased with the urgency with which it pushed itself back into his mind. He could not understand why such a simple sentence made him curious. _Kurogane, just keep in mind that we're still friends._

Kurogane. He had said Kurogane.

That was why. The mage never called him that. He devised many sobriquets – much to his chagrin – but he never, ever called him by his full name. Somehow, this little piece of knowledge affected him. The more he recalled the words, the better he remembered the sound of his voice. It had been tinged with something unusual. . .what had it been? Guilt? Sympathy?

His other problems forgotten, he mulled over the words numerous times, trying to find what he was missing. Then, as he distractedly watched a June bug struggle to make its way around a stone with a broken wing, it struck him: desperation. His eyes widened at the revelation. Why had Fai sounded so desperate?

Although the answer amazed him to no end, he was not oblivious to the warm feeling spreading through his stomach or the loosening of his chest. He loathed the reaction, used to being grim and rational. Emotions, especially the ones that made him feel warm and light, unsettled him. They made him feel out of character. He answered a blow with a blow, not a kiss.

As he made his way back to his room hours later, he paused, just for a second, before Fai's chamber and deliberated knocking on the door. His hand curled into a fist involuntarily and as he raised it to come in contact with the wood, his mind stopped him. No, there was no need for words. After all, he never had been the loquacious one. He dragged his feet towards his allotted room, mentally thanking Fai. He understood.

**IV**

DAWN MEANT SOMETHINGentirely different to the Space Time Witch. Syaoran had barely had few minutes' sleep – what with waking up every few seconds in the hopes that Sakura would be staring up at him, smiling that innocent smile of hers – when there was a loud bang on his door and in tumbled the boy from yesterday.

He looked decidedly embarrassed as he presented Syaoran with a rather delicious-looking breakfast. "Yuko wanted me to inform you that it is time to start the journey." It was still dark outside.

The drowsiness faded, to be replaced by an anxiety that made him feel nauseated. It went without saying that he could not wait to get started but that did not mean he did not have his insecurities. What if he failed—but no. He clenched his hands into fists. He could not-_would not_-let himself think like that. His determination prevented him.

Yuko was waiting at the same spot she had welcomed them the previous day and he would be a fool not to feel tension in the atmosphere. His two companions were already dressed and Syaoran watched as Mokona spoke, much to Kurogane's annoyance.

The voice was high-pitched to the point of being squeaky. "Hi, I'm Mokona! How do you do?" He was _very _cheerful.

"Great. The manju bun can talk." Kurogane looked clearly upset.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mokona." Syaoran dipped his head, in what he hoped was a cordial manner. "My name is Syaoran."

"Hello there, Mokona. I'm Fai." Fai looked as cheerful and as excited as the creature. He held out his hand invitingly and Mokona hopped on to it without the slightest hesitation. "Well. . .aren't you adorable."

"We are going to be great friends. You seem interesting." Mokona said decisively, before tilting his head towards Kurogane. "Unlike _that _man over there."

"Who, Kuro-tan?" Fai looked surprised for a moment. Then his face broke into a grin. "That's just how he is – he's _always_ grumpy. But Kuro-tan is mighty interesting, trust me."

"Well. . ." Mokona seemed to be relenting. "With a cute name like Kuro-tan, I suppose—"

"Oi. Shut up." Kurogane had reached the end of what little patience he had. "Both of you. Be _quiet_."

"But Kuro-tan, I—"

He flinched at the sobriquet. "Enough of that." Syaoran watched the exchange with trepidation etched on his face. "This is not the time or the place to be _playing_."

"Gee, what a spoilsport." Mokona said in a loud whisper to Fai.

"If you don't like 'Kuro-tan'," Fai looked visibly upset. "we could always go back to 'Kuro-chan' or 'Kuro-poo'. I just thought you would like some variety."

"You mean 'Kuro-tan' isn't his real name? Well. . .figures."

Kurogane looked ready to kill.

The Witch watched the conversation wordlessly, her eyes often resting on the still-unconscious girl in Syaoran's arms.

"I will be in touch." She whispered without preamble. "And I wish you the very best." She nodded to Mokona and to the group's surprise, the manju bun impostor opened his mouth rather wide and started-there was no other word for it-gobbling them all up. Syaoran tightened his grip on Sakura, worried she might drift away from him as he felt his feet lift off the ground.

And through the blinding light that surrounded, through his numb anxiety and anticipation, Yuko's cool voice penetrated, "Remember, nothing is co-incidence. It is always fate."

It had all only just begun.

* * *

**Well that's that. I really am sorry about how insincere I've been about updating but I really do want to finish this story. Please review and thank you for reading!**

**Notes on some terms:**

**Yakitori:** It is grilled chicken spread on sticks.


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